Patrick Schmelzer - 2001 (Germany)

What were you studying/Where were you working?

I worked as a journalist since 1993 and thereafter studied Political Science. I did my internship at Bush Radio in the year 2001, after finishing an 18 month traineeship at Deutsche Welle Radio and TV.

What are you currently doing?

I am a Political Adviser at the European Commission Liaison Office in Kosovo. I deal with Human Rights, Civil Society and Minority Protection.

Most memorable experience at Bush Radio

I enjoyed working with the fantastic people at Bush Radio, and the idea of lovely cool fast paced music programmes mixed together with good serious information.

Most memorable experience of South Africa

I did a story for Bush Radio which involved a visit to Pollsmoor prison. This is maximum security prison on the outskirts of Cape Town in which gangsters with tattooed faces and no teeth in their mouth are ready to knock off your head. However, a fascinating woman named Joanna Flanders managed to put these people into the room where Nelson Mandela and Frederik Willem de Klerk first met to hold conflict resolution workshops with these notorious killers. This can indeed be called, “peace building behind bars”. I called the story The Prison of Good Hope – though that may have been exaggerated taking into account how absolutely overcrowded and violent the prison is. However, the encounter with these inmates and the maximum security prison was an experience for a lifetime. On my next visit to South Africa I would love to do the Garden Route.

Home Next

For more on Bush Radio visit:

Bushblog – Facebook – Twitter – Youtube - Listen online