The winners of the KZN and Western regions in the Vodacom Journalist of the Year 2009 were announced early last week. They will compete with the other regions' winners in the national finals on Friday, 9 October 2009, at Vodaworld Midrand in Gauteng.
The competition, now in its eighth year, honours South African journalists and photographers for their quality of work. The Vodacom Journalist of the Year 2009 winner will win R125 000 in cash as well as being afforded an opportunity to donate a further R125 000 to an official charity of his or her choosing. In addition, the national winners each receive R15 000 and a Nokia E71.
KZN winners
The winners of the Vodacom Journalist of the Year 2009 Kwazulu-Natal Region are:
- Television News - Nonkumbulo Sithole of ETV Prime News for Camps
- Television Feature - Julie Laurenz and Nicky Troll for SABC1 Cutting Edge for their piece Dam Shame
- Print News - joint winners are, in alphabetical order, Colleen Dardagan, of The Mercury for Land reform failure and Bongani Mthethwa, of Sunday Times for Farms collapse as land reform fail
- Print Feature KZN - Sam Sole of Mail & Guardian for Smoke, sex and the arms deal
- Radio Feature - Siphiwe Cyril Mnguni of SABC News on poverty and its impact on rural communities
- Radio News - Khalesakhe Mbhense of Ukhozi FM and SABC on a positive story on South Africa's struggle with racism
- Financial/Economic KZN (sponsored by the JSE) - Wendy Knowler of Independent Newspapers on Charge Back Systems
- Columnist KZN - Wendy Knowler
- Cartoonist KZN - Nanna Soobben of CFAD for ECR.Blog
- Photography KZN - Ronelle Ramsay for the Zululand Observer for her graphic photos Head Hunted
- Sport KZN - Zayn Nabbi of e.TV on how three former drug addicts, through the Uthombo Street kids Programme and the Uthombo Surfing Programme became Kwa-Zulu Natal provincial surfers.
- Community Media KZN - Radio Khwezi's Lindiwe Buthelezi for Voting Procedures
- Online KZN (sponsored by Nokia) - Sharon Davis with www.scidev.net
- Editors Choice - Nonhlakanipho Shinga from Ilanga langeSonto
Cape winners
The winners of the Vodacom Journalist of the Year 2009 Western Region are:
- Television News - Talia Sanhewe of CNBC for The Broccoli Project
- Television Feature - Elizabeth Kay Fish for Carte Blanche for the insert Fish Fraud
- Print News - Sipokazi Maphosa of Cape Argus for A city's shame
- Print Feature - Leila Samodien of Cape Argus for two-part series of Ellen Pakkies, mother who killed the tik addicted son
- Radio News - Primedia news reporter - Regan Thaw on child murders in the Western Cape
- Radio Feature - No Winner
- Financial/Economic (sponsored by the JSE) - Claire Bisseker of the Financial Mail
- Columnist - Norman McFarlane from the Bolander for My Boulevard of Broken Dreams
- Cartoonist - Jonathan Shapiro for the Sunday Times for Rape of Justice
- Photography - Noor Slamdien of the Daily Voice for War-Fare
- Sport - Norman McFarlane of the Bolander for future of the ‘bok emblem
- Community Media - Munadia Karaan of The Voice of the Cape for Muslim Marriage Act to make Global History
- Online - Alfred Mautsane Thutloa with his Visiting Gogo on parent24.com
- Editors Choice - Diane Hawker of ENews Prime Time/ENews Channel
“The awards not only give credit to hard-working journalists and media from all spheres of the profession but help to continuously raise the bar in pursuit of excellence. This results in a strong and vibrant media, which is important to any free and democratic society and we are delighted to be able to have played a small role in this. Congratulations to all regional winners and we wish them the best of luck in the national finals,” said Romeo Kumalo, commercial director for Vodacom South Africa.
Vodacom sponsors the Vodacom Journalist of the Year, in association with 1Time Airline, Southern Sun, Sandton Sun, Media Express, Nokia and the JSE.
For more, go to www.vodacom.co.za/sponsorships/journalist_of_the_year/index.jsp.
