ity Press Journalists Dewald van Rensburg and Sipho Masondo were named Sikuvile’s Journalists of the Year for their stories on VBS, which also won them the South African Story of the Year, at the Standard Bank Sikuvile Journalism Awards on Thursday evening. The event, held at The Venue, Melrose Arch in Johannesburg, was a celebration of pure truth.
With the future relying on the virtues of the traditional newsroom, and what award-winning journalists do, that is find things out, verify the facts and publish the best available version of the truth, these journalists and their story did exactly that! “There were a number of media houses that wrote on the VBS scandal, but the winners of the South African Story of the Year, journalists Dewald van Rensburg and Sipho Masondo, were the ones that broke the story and stayed with it,” says Convening Judge, Mathatha Tsedu. “Their contribution to the coverage of the saga was also never challenged and, unlike others who came into the story later, they never had to backtrack,” he adds.
Unlike last year, when one major story dominated the headlines, he says, this year there was a variety of stories in the running for the title of South African Story of the Year. “A lot of discussion took place around these during the judging period,” he states. “In general, all the categories have good entries, expect for sports photography where no award was given.”
Rosetta Msimango was named Upcoming/Rising star of the Year and the Allan Kirkland Soga Lifetime Achiever Award was awarded to Robin Comley.
All the category winners were rewarded with R15 000, a trophy and a certificate.
The Frewin, McCall and, Joel Mervis Awards
The Frewin, McCall and, Joel Mervis Awards winners were also announced at the event.
The Frewin Award, which recognises urban daily newspapers with a circulation above 40 000, went to Beeld, while Pretoria News was awarded the McCall Award, which honours urban daily newspapers with a circulation of 40 000 or less. The Joel Mervis Award recognises urban weekly newspapers irrespective of their circulation and a joint award went to City Press.
STANDARD BANK SIKUVILE JOURNALISM AWARDS 2019
CATEGORY 1: HARD NEWS
ARON F HYMAN
“Hyper-trauma’: Another young life lost, more desperate pleas in gangland.” “Order to kill was issued in jail cell.” “Tears as Hannah’s friend faces her ‘killers’ in court”
TIMES LIVE
CATEGORY 2: COLUMNS / EDITORIAL
CARLA LEWIS
“Stompie moet steeds by ons spook”
BEELD
CATEGORY 3: ENTERPRISE NEWS
GRAEME HOSKEN
“Serial Horror”
SUNDAY TIMES
CATEGORY 4: FEATURE WRITING
MIA MALAN, LAURA LOPEZ GONZALEZ, PONTSHO PILANE, JOAN VAN DYK
“Who killed Ntombizodwa? Politics, protest and Corruption in the North West”
BHEKISISA, MAIL GUARDIAN
CATEGORY 5: INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALISM
SIPHO MASONDO, DEWALD VAN RENSBURG
“VBS”
CITY PRESS
CATEGORY 6: EDITORIAL CARTOONS
FRED MOUTON
“They just keep on gorging, but don’t want to fly” “Earthling, take me to your leader.” “Heinz, you won’t believe it” “Lady Justice.” “Manny”
DIE BURGER
CATEGORY 7: GRAPHIC JOURNALISM
COBUS PRINSLOO
“Insight – die jongste besoeker op Mars” “Is it a plane? Is it a chopper? No, it’s a sky taxi!” “Latest visitor to Mars”
DIE BURGER, CITY PRESS, NETWERK
CATEGORY 8: POPULAR JOURNALISM
MHIE SILANGWE
“Zuma’s wife Disowned”
SUNDAY SUN
CATEGORY 9: NEWS PHOTOGRAPHS
THEODORE JEPTHA
“Joe Slove Protest”
SON NEWSPAPER
CATEGORY 10: FEATURE PHOTOGRAPHS
ALON SKUY
1%ers…a rare glimpse into an outlaw “Motorcycle Club”.
SUNDAY TIMES
CATEGORY 11: SPORTS PHOTOGRAPHS – No Award
CATEGORY 12: PRESENTATION
JOHNN-GRANT MUNRO
“Koebaai ,Nr 1” ”Die bose Z is weg..”
DIE BURGER
CATEGORY 13: MULTIPLATFORM STORIES
ANTHONY MOLYNEAUX
HANNA CORNELIUS- “Kidnapping, mapping the murder and the killers”
TIMESLIVE
CATEGORY 14: LIFESTYLE
RETHA FICK
“Legendariese roadhouse herleef”
BEELD
Judging took place in May and the judging panel is made up of industry experts, all well-known and respected in the newspaper industry and includes Dinesh Balliah, Henry Jefreys, Mike Siluma, Tyrone August, Phil Mthimkhulu Pippa Green, Liesl Louw-Vaundrum, Mary Papayya, Ryland Fisher, Neo Ntsoma, Maud Motanyane, Lizeka Mda, Thabo Leshilo and Themba Hadebe.
