Phuti Mosomane
Mukurukuru Media Publisher and Editor Lucas Styles Ledwaba walked away with the much-coveted Journalist of the Year in the Standard Bank Sikuvile Journalism Awards over the weekend.
Ledwaba won in the features category for the work he did titled: “On a quest for healing justice”, based on the struggle of families to find closure over the missing loved ones assassinated by apartheid security forces.
The second body of work, titled “Gold mining widows battle with trauma and poverty”, focused on the troubled legacy of gold mining in South Africa. Thousands of families have lost their fathers, husbands, uncles, brothers, sons, who contracted the deadly lung disease silicosis while working down the gold mines of the country for a pittance.
Ledwaba, who regularly contributes to Inside Education publication, was praised by the judges for his “intensely poignant writing” and “commendable journalism.” His work has highlighted critical issues facing South Africa, challenging authorities to act on behalf of marginalised communities.
“I have come face to face with the pain, the suffering and poverty faced by those that remain behind and I always hope and wish our work as journalists can make a difference.
“It was quite an emotional moment being announced the winner, because, I really didn’t expect it, but also, the struggle I have gone through to get these and other stories over the past eight years with Mukurukuru Media has been punishing,” Ledwaba said.
He said he hoped the awards serve as motivation for the next generation of journalists, focused and rooted in the true ethos of the craft, to be the eyes and ears of society, a voice for the downtrodden, the poor, a watchdog that never tires to expose injustice and to hold those in power accountable.
The Juby Mayet Rising Star of the Year award was presented to Julia Evans of the Daily Maverick. Her exceptional piece, based on research from the University of Stellenbosch, explored the feasibility of electric vehicles in the minibus taxi industry, showcasing her potential as a future leader in journalism.
The late James Clarke was posthumously honoured with the Allan Soga/Standard Bank Chairman’s Lifetime Achievement Award for his impeccable ethics and excellence in the journalism craft.
Clarke’s legacy as an activist journalist who rallied public support against the National Party Government’s plans to mine the Kruger Park remains a beacon of inspiration. His humour and wit also endeared him to readers through his columns and books. Below are other award winners;
The Hard News category was taken by both Zikhona Tshona of Newzroom Afrika for the story “Ofentse” and Slindelo Masikane of eNCA for the story “Best Escape”.
The Indigenous Language Reporting in Community Media went to Hlengiwe Ngwenya of SABC’s Cutting Edge for the story “Amabhodlo”.
The Community Service Reporting category was taken by Hazel Friedman of Fokus on SABC2 for her story “Oukloof”.
The Investigative Journalism award was taken by team News24 Kyle Cowan, Azarrah Karrim, and Sipho Masondo for their story “Mashatile unmasked”.
The Business Journalism award went to Nick Wilson of News24 Business for the story “Convicted Health & Racquet fraudsters sub-let a lucrative site to Virgin Active”.
The Features award winner is Lucas Ledwaba of Daily Maverick for stories “On a quest for healing justice” and “Gold mining widows battle with trauma and poverty”.
The Lifestyle category winner is Nomvuyo Ntanjana of SABC’s Cutting Edge for the story “Buru the Snake Guru”.
The Columns/Editorial category winner is Bhekisisa Mncube from LitNet for the story “The contested legacy of Mangosuthu Buthelezi”.
The Visual journalism (Editorial cartoons & graphic layout) winner is Thulani Ntsong of Maverick Citizen for the body of work, including: “Lesufi”, “Elections”, and “CR Zondo”.
The News Photographs winner is Ayanda Ndamane of Cape Times for the story “Pro-Palestine crowd clash with Police”.
The Feature Photographs winner is Theodore Jeptha of Daily Dispatch for the story “We walked a mile in their shoes…. And it was Terrifying”.
The Sports Photographs winner Bertram Malgas of News24 for the body of work, including: “Springboks demolish Romania in Bordeaux try-fest” and “Springboks stumble against still-unbeaten Irish outfit in Paris”.
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