Baldwin Ndaba, a veteran South African political journalist known for his deep insight into factional politics, died in his sleep on Thursday.
According to his family, Ndaba went to bed on Thursday night at his Johannesburg home and did not wake up. He had no known illness, and his younger brother Robert had seen him the day before and found him in good health. His wife was away in Kimberley at the time.
Ndaba built a career spanning nearly three decades covering politics, corruption and state institutions. He worked for publications including the Diamond Fields Advertiser and The Star. Colleagues recalled his ability to uncover information quietly and his willingness to mentor younger reporters.
He received a Special Mention in the Nat Nakasa Award for Media Integrity in 2000 and was a finalist in the Standard Bank Sikuvile Awards for investigative journalism in 2013. A memorial service will be held in Kimberley on Thursday, followed by the funeral on Saturday.