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Lerato Mutsila is a Journalist living in Johannesburg

About Me

A driven and determined individual, my name is Lerato Mutsila. I am a recent graduate with proficiency and training in multi-media journalism. I have always possessed a passion for telling stories in both visual and written mediums. Over the years I have grown into a determined, goal oriented and focused creative who desires little else then the opportunity to work in the Journalism industry and be instrumental in a process that brings the most interesting, impactful and obscure stories to life.

Articles

Daily Maverick •

Asylum seekers in SA desperate amid US funding cuts

‘They were killing us. Anyone who supported that party was seen as an enemy. They were killing us and our family members – some of my relatives, I don’t even know where they are today. My life was in danger because they were looking for me, and I had nowhere to hide. That’s why I had to leave. I didn’t want to, but I had to.”
This is how *Asher – forced to flee his home in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) – described to Daily Maverick how he became an asylum seeker in South Africa in 2007....
Daily Maverick •

Scientology-linked rehab boots out whistle-blowers

When medical liaison officer Nomalady Nekhabambe and social worker Nhlanhla Pangisa came forward with allegations of worker abuse, irregular practices and the flouting of labour laws, the whistle-blowers fully expected blowback. However, they did not anticipate increased intimidation and strong-arm tactics from Narconon Africa so quickly.
On Thursday, 23 January, the directors of Narconon South Africa – the name under which Narconon Africa Rehabilitation Centre is registered – Sandile Hlayisi an...
Daily Maverick •

Staff at Scientology-backed Narconon rehab claim wages not paid

Beyond the gilded gates that lead to the pristine grounds of the Narconon Africa Rehabilitation Centre in Rustenburg, North West, an unsuspecting observer would not anticipate that executives at the Church of Scientology-backed rehab have flouted even the most basic labour laws, leaving vulnerable workers penniless and helpless.
“We have not been paid in five weeks, but even before December, we went eight weeks without receiving our salaries. While we beg for peanuts, the people who run this fac...
Daily Maverick •

On SA border, SANDF struggles to combat smuggling, illegal immigration

As the sun dips below the horizon just west of the partially dried Limpopo River, which separates South Africa and Zimbabwe, a group of Zimbabwean citizens desperately flee from South African National Defence Force (SANDF) soldiers during a nighttime patrol of the Pontdrif borderline. 
At first, only two men are visible but as the soldiers continue their pursuit of the dense bushy area, a group of more than 10 men, women and children emerge from the bushes and frantically run back towards Zimbab...
Daily Maverick •

ICC efficacy doubts prompt question ‘how much more blood must be spilt’

“At last there is someone in the world putting Israeli leaders on the table, telling them that they are committing a crime. For so many years now, hundreds of massacres have been happening against the Palestinian people, and the world remained silent.
“What I love about what happened [when the ICC issued the arrest warrant] was that someone was brave enough to say, ‘No, you [Netanyahua and Gallant] are not going to have the freedom to move around while you are covered by the Palestinian kids’ bl...
Daily Maverick •

Mozambique – ‘Maputo is like a warzone,’ says activist

“Maputo is like a warzone,” the director of the Centre for Democracy and Human Rights in Mozambique and chairperson of the Southern Africa Human Rights Defenders Network, Professor Adriano Nuvunga, told Daily Maverick. He was describing the scenes unfolding in Mozambique as police clashed with protesters on Thursday, 7 October, during a mass Day of Freedom demonstration.
The neighbourhoods of Polana Caniço, Maxaquene, Luís Cabral and much of Mozambique’s capital city, Maputo, were covered in clo...
Daily Maverick •

Gruesome pig farm murders shatter family and Limpopo community

In August 2024, South Africans woke up to the gruesome news that Maria Makgato and Kudzai Ndlovu had been brutally murdered, allegedly by pig farmer Zachariah Olivier and employees Adriaan De Wet and William Musoro on Olivier’s farm in Sebayeng just outside Polokwane, Limpopo.
Makgato (47) and Ndlovu (34) were not only shot several times, but Olivier and his co-accused allegedly fed their bodies to pigs in a bid to conceal the evidence.Beyond the shocking headlines and gruesome details is the st...

Centextualizing Degrowth – Meeting Nina Treu – Episode 04

While most of the world remains undeniably poor, some nations, mostly in the global north, enjoy an unprecedented level of wealth. This economic boom means a lot of things. It means we emit more greenhouse gases and consumers in the developing world consume more than what is necessary to survive.

As the climate crisis heightens, there is increased pressure for scientists, policymakers, and activists to come up with real-time solutions to the climate crisis. At the same time, it often falls upon

Temba Water Woes - People Can’t Drink Sludge – Water Security in South Africa

In the northern parts of the Gauteng province in South Africa the township of Temba can be found nestled in the outskirts of Hammanskraal. The streets of Temba are filled with activity as the township’s residents go about their errands, unperturbed by the unrelenting heat that fills the air and dries it of all moisture. Relief from the persistent heat can only be found when a light breeze passes by the entrance of a church building littered with members of the community and kicks up the dust tha

Rise: The resurgence of African Spirituality

African Spirituality has long been demonised in mainstream South African society but the fact that people still continue to be initiated into the practices means that there is more to the spiritual practice then meets the eye. This short documentary briefly explores the world of African Spirituality.

Big Debate South Africa (S11)

I worked as a producer on season 11 of the Big Debate South Africa. During the course of the season I was responsible for:

• Researching topics, Fact checking data and compiling sumarised research packs for each episode.
• Developing angles and content direction for each episode
• Writing scripts for broadcast.
• Crafting interview questions to be asked during the recording of the show.
• Setting-up high profile interviews and chased guests to be part of a panel of experts.
• Conducting pre-interviews for preferred guests
• Managing audience participation during the recording of each episode.
• Conducting interviews for insert packages.