Oshunkeye was one of 21 finalists at the Awards ceremony on Saturday night, 15 July 2006, and was the category winner in the MKO Abiola Print Journalist Award. Chris Cramer, managing director, CNN International and Nolo Letele, chief executive officer, MultiChoice South Africa, presented him with the award at a gala ceremony hosted by CNN and MultiChoice at The Polana Serena Hotel Mozambique. Chairperson of the Judging Panel, Joel Kibazo, said: "This story stood out and resulted in a unanimous decision by the judges that it should be the overall winner, a rare occurrence."
Cramer commented: "This year has been no exception in unearthing a wealth of voices, some old, some new, from around Africa, each with a compelling story to tell, and each demonstrating a quality of journalism, and in some cases a resourcefulness and bravery in pursuing the story in the first place, that has my deepest admiration."
Added Nolo Letele, CEO MultiChoice South Africa: "I continue to be amazed at the high standard of journalism that we see every year from this competition. These Awards play an essential role in giving the media on this continent an identity, confidence and crucially, recognition for achievements, often in the face of insurmountable odds. Congratulations to Shola for being awarded the African Journalist for 2006."
The overall CNN MultiChoice African Journalist 2006 Award prize comprises a substantial cash prize, a visit to CNN Centre, Atlanta, with complimentary flights courtesy of South African Airways (SAA), along with the prize awarded to all category winners, which consists of a laptop computer, modem and printer and a cash prize.
The competition, now in its 11th year, is held in association with South African Airways, who in addition to flying the judges to London for the judging process, brought all the finalists and judges to Maputo to attend the extensive finalists' programme. Mozambique-based accommodation was provided by the official hotel sponsor The Polana Serena Hotel, Mozambique. The event is also held in collaboration with The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. Other prestigious sponsors include: Celtel, Coca-Cola Africa; Ecobank, IPP Media; Johnnic Communications; Merck Sharp & Dohme (MSD); Safebond Africa Limited (SAL); Global Media Alliance (GMA) and Camerapix.
Presented by Celtel
Victoria Cullinan, Carte Blanche, M-Net, South Africa
Topic: Ashley's Story
Judge's citation:
Arlindo Lopes, secretary general designate of Southern African Broadcasting Association (SABA), said: "It's an example of how one can use art to transform other people's lives. The young girl used the documentary film she made, without any professional filmmaking knowledge and with a small amount of money to raise awareness about child rape. She decided she had to tell the story and raise money for the centre taking care of the children."
Presented by Ecobank
Isaac Masingati, The Sunday Times, Malawi
Topic: Spinning scrap into gold
Judge's citation:
Joel Kibazo, director of communications and public affairs at the Commonwealth Secretariat, and chair of the judges said: "This is a really wonderful story about how scrap metal can be turned into money. It's a very simple way of writing, very lucid, very open, but at the end of the day it makes you realise, business and economics does not have to be complicated. It doesn't have to be numbers. It's about people."
Presented by Johnnic Communications
Joe Ombuor, Daily Nation, Kenya
Topic: In the bowels of Ngong Forest
Judge's citation:
Arlindo Lopes, secretary general designate of SABA, said: "Environment and preservation is a global concern. This piece is an example of how, in Africa, we are also dealing with these kinds of problems. The concern focussed on the future of a nature reserve in Kenya, and how defending and preserving it, might benefit humanity."
Ramata Soré, L'Evénement, Burkina Faso
Topic: Etre Homosexuel au Burkina To be Homosexual in Burkina
Judge's citation:
Souleymane Diallo, president of West African Editors' Forum, said: "She was very courageous, not only for exposing the topic and running it in the paper, but also for provoking a reaction from people. It is a very daring article. You can't be indifferent towards it nor towards the images illustrating the text. She forces a reaction from religious people, psychologists and others."
Salwa Jaafari, 2M, Maroc
Topic: A la vie a la mort Life and Death
Judge's citation:
Souleymane Diallo, president of West African Editors' Forum, said: "She covered the problem of immigration in a very meticulous manner. Her research is very complete. She composed the images very well. The sequences all add up to a coherent story. These people are faced by misery... they then have to face another misery by crossing the desert whilst they are chased by the police, struck by hunger and turned in by locals. All this to try and escape, which they don't always succeed. It is really a drama that Jaafari captured in a very well made documentary with excellent images."
Dumisani Muleya , Zimbabwe Independent, Zimbabwe
Topic: Body of Work including 'CIO takes over private media'
Judge's citation:
Dr Doyinsola Abiola, executive director, editorial/publications, Daily Times of Nigeria Plc, said: "He wants to see wrongs corrected. He wants the greatest good for the greatest number. For government to be accountable. For any journalist I think this is uppermost. Dumisani was prepared to go to any lengths, facing harassment and arrest to tell the story of Zimbabwe."
Presented by the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation:
Khopotso Bodibe and Anso Thom Health-e, News Service, South Africa
Topic: Rath's Free Reign
Judge's citation:
Jeff Koinange, CNN Africa correspondent, said: "This was an online feature about the desperation of individuals - what they will do to get treatment. Obviously there are people out there who want to take advantage of this, there are opportunists out there."
Presented by Merck, Sharp and Dohme
Lillian Aluanga, The Sunday Standard, Kenya
Topic: Gift of Healing
Judge's citation:
Jaqui O'Sullivan, head of corporate communications and CSI, South African Airways, said: "What was particularly good about the story is that although it dealt with traditional medicine or alternate medicine, it looked at the role that conventional medicine plays in the same field. The story very specifically indicates that conventional medicine still has a strong role to play in society. It does not judge whether or not traditional medicine is better or worse than conventional medicine, Lillian makes it very clear that the two can work well together."
presented by Safebond Africa Ltd
Shola Oshunkeye, TELL Magazine, Nigeria
Topic: Niger's Graveyard of the living
Judge's citation:
Anna Umbima, journalist and broadcaster, said: "The winning story was by a Nigerian journalist working for TELL Magazine, who travelled into the neighbouring country of Niger to cover the drought there. He wrote about the human plight of how people were being affected and also the official reaction, which was the government almost denying that there was a famine. Plus he covered the international relief operation and provided fantastic photographs to accompany the piece. There was a story to be told. And it took you, the reader, deep into it and that comes from great writing."
Presented by Camerapix
Desmond Kwande, Daily Mirror, Zimbabwe
Topic: Operation Murambatsvina (Get rid of trash)
Judge's citation:
Anna Umbima, journalist and broadcaster, said: "This series of photographs is about the operation carried out by the government in Zimbabwe, in about August 2005, a cold time in Zimbabwe, when illegal structures were demolished in what was called operation clean-up trash, clean-up rubbish. The particular photo that took our attention is of a man sitting on his bed, with a few scant possessions around him and devastation everywhere. The home that he once had gone. I think what makes it even more poignant is a child next to him, almost oblivious to this destruction. It leaves you thinking where did that family go that night and where are they now? When you look at this man sitting on this bed there is a look of total hopelessness on his face. It leaves you thinking - what is the future for this family? But then, what is the future for Zimbabwe."
Presented by Serena Polana Hotel Mozambique
Refinaldo Chilengue, Revista Mais, Mozambique
Topic: Trabalho agricola na África do Sul - Fel e mel! (Agricultural workers in South Africa - Bittersweet)
Judge's citation:
Joel Kibazo, director of communications and public affairs at the Commonwealth Secretariat, and chair of the judges said: "It was an engaging example of storytelling, that drew in the reader and you wanted to know more about these people, more about these migrant workers and the life that they led."
Sammy Muraya, Metro FM, Kenya
Topic: Kakuma
Judge's citation:
Jaqui O'Sullivan, head of corporate communications and CSI, South African Airways, said: "Samuel approached the story in a very sensitive and informed way. He did not for a second presume these women were victims. He showed them to be intelligent and informed, but he also showed the culture constraints in which they were working. I think going in and actually speaking to the women, and to be able to win over the confidence of somebody who has such a traumatic experience, to then be able to convince them to let their story be told - I found that to be very powerful."
Presented by South African Airways
Tanya Farber, The Sunday Independent, South Africa
Topic: Wide world of cuisine
Judge's citation:
Jeff Koinange, CNN Africa correspondent, said: "When you think of tourism in Africa you think of sights, you think of sounds. You think of places to go and visit. This particular piece was all about cuisines of a country. Can South Africa have a national dish?"
Presented by Global Media Alliance
Angus Begg, Carte Blanche, M-Net, South Africa
Topic: Night Cricket
Judge's citation:
Dr Doyinsola Abiola, executive director, editorial/publications, Daily Times of Nigeria Plc, said: "It is very amusing, very refreshing and it brought out everything that sport is meant to do - to bring out the best - the passion for the game."
Presented by IPP Media
Jacques Pauw, Special Assignment , SABC, South Africa
Topic: Room 6A
Judge's citation:
Joel Kibazo, director of communications and public affairs at the Commonwealth Secretariat, and chair of the judges said: "This not only involves those immigrants that are going about their lawful business, but it also includes drug dealers who go back out on the street because they paid the right price. The footage is filmed by hidden cameras and by people who cooperated with the filmmaker to ensure that the story told is accurate. You see everything on the screen - it's a compelling account of what can happen if people are not vigilant. That was the only way they were able to highlight this corruption."
Pesented by Coca-Cola Africa
Sandy McCowen, SABC, South Africa
Topic: Rape
Judge's citation:
Arlindo Lopes, secretary general designate of SABA, said: "The ability, in a few minutes, to be able to get facts, to get evidence, to get the doctor's numbers and experience from similar cases. To wrap up the story putting the issues into perspective and into context...that is, I think, a major skill."
This year the Judges highlighted some excellent work and awarded commendations in four categories. These journalists participated in the extensive finalists' programme in Maputo and received a cash prize and certificates of commendation.
Bamuturaki Musinguzi, New African, Uganda
Title: Communication Changing Lives
Adeshina Oyetayo, TELL Magazine, Nigeria
Title: The Amazing World of Albinos
Josephine Akurue, NewsAfrica Côte d'Ivoire
Title: Walking back in time
Marion Alina, WBS TELEVISION, Uganda
Title: The arrest of Dr. Kizza Besigye
The CNN African Journalist of the Year Award was founded in 1995 by Edward Boateng (formerly African regional director for Turner Broadcasting System Inc., CNN's parent company) and the late Mohamed Amin, to recognise and encourage excellence in journalism throughout Africa. The competition is open to African professional Journalists, and freelancers, working on the continent for African owned and/or headquartered media. All winning entries were broadcast or published during January - December 2005.
Judging of the entries was completed in May by a distinguished panel of independent judges, chaired by Joel Kibazo, director of communications and public affairs at the Commonwealth Secretariat, and including Dr Doyinsola Abiola, executive director, editorial/publications, Daily Times of Nigeria Plc, Souleymane Diallo, president of West African Editors' Forum, CNN's Africa correspondent Jeff Koinange, Arlindo Lopes, secretary general designate of SABA - Southern African Broadcasting Association, Jacqui O'Sullivan, head of corporate communications and CSI, South African Airways and Anna Umbima, journalist and broadcaster. Filipe Correia de Sá, senior producer at BBC World Service, was brought in to help judge the Portuguese language category.
For more information, go to www.cnn.com/africanawards.
