Further regional winners in Vodacom Journalist of the Year

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.

Advocate Robin Sewlal, convenor of the judges, said, “It was encouraging to note the increased number of entries this year. This is a clear indication that it continues to provide an enabling environment in the promotion of excellence in journalism. There is a great improvement in the quality of entries.”

Central region

The winners of the Vodacom Journalist of the Year 2009 Central Region are:

• Television News - no winner
  
• Television Feature - Sias De Kock of SABC2 Focus for “Olimpiese Pyn”
  
• Print News - Loraine Kalp of the Volksblad for “Mathys beseer in ongeluk”
  
• Print Feature - Charles Smith, Volksblad, for “Hulle wonder ook op stemdag”
  
• Radio News - Diemiso Leburu of OFM for transformation in game farming
  
• Radio Feature - Alani Janeke of OFM for challenges facing farmers in central South Africa
  
• Financial/Economic (sponsored by the JSE) - no winner
  
• Columnist - Gert Coetzee of the Volksblad for his column “Heimat vs Tswelopele”
  
• Cartoonist - Gavin Petersen of the Volksblad
  
• Photography - Emile Hendricks of the Volksblad for his piece on the bravery of one little boy - Obed Lekhele
  
• Sport - Gert Coetzee of Volksblad for the original and creative piece on the biggest ultra marathon in the world, the Comrades.
  
• Community Media - no winner
  
• Online (sponsored by Nokia) - Andre Kunz of OFM
  
• Editors Choice - Jana Engelbrecht of Volksblad

Eastern region

The winners of the Vodacom Journalist of the Year 2009 Eastern Region are:

• Television News - no winner
  
• Television Feature - joint winners - Nontsikelelo Nohiya, Cutting Edge for Kei Rail Potholes and Mike Vincent, SABC2 50/50 for Thandi's story
  
• Print News - Bongani Fuzile, Daily Dispatch, for “Kei Ripper”
  
• Print Feature - Thanduxolo Jika, Daily Dispatch, for “Dying to live: inside the Somali murders”
  
• Radio News - Nkululeko Nyembezi for SABC Radio “Abduction - EC” on child marriages
  
• Radio Feature - Veronica Fourie, SABC Radio News on traditional leaders and their role in politics and the elections
  
• Financial/Economic (sponsored by the JSE) - Sipho Masondo of The Herald on the effects of the recession on the Eastern Cape economy, particularly motor industry
  
• Columnist - Brian Hayward of the Weekend Post for “One Wedding, Two Cultures...”
  
• Cartoonist - Mark Wigett for his cartoon in the Weekend Post
  
• Photography - Ewald Stander for Kap-kap ‘n Lewe - a story of a white family living in poverty in the Noorhoek bushes
  
• Sport - Mesuli Zifo of the Daily Dispatch
  
• Community Media - no winner
  
• Online (sponsored by Nokia) - Daily Dispatch Online Team on xenophobic attacks
  
• Editors Choice - Unathi Bingose of SABC News

Northern/southern region

The winners of the Vodacom Journalist of the Year 2009 Northern/Southern Region are:

• Television News - Asanda Magaqa, SABC News, for her coverage on “Xenophobia”
  
• Television Feature - Joy Summers, Carte Blanche, on “Water” and a Special Mention to Eugene Botha for “Forensics the Inga Lotz story”
  
• Print News - Beauregard Tromp, The Star, for his “Burning Man” xenophobia reportage
  
• Print Feature - Niren Tolsi, Yolandi Groenewald, Surika van Schalkwyk and Sello Alcock from the Mail & Guardian for “The Future of Farming”
  
• Radio News - Nomsa Maseko of 702 Eyewitness News on “Xenophobia”
  
• Radio Feature - Joint winners Melini Moses from SAFM and Magashini Mottian from Lotus FM for topical news. Special commendation to Herman Steyn of RSG for “Gautrain project”
  
• Financial/Economic (sponsored by the JSE) - Simpiwe Piliso, Sunday Times
  
• Columnist - Jo Prins of Beeld for “Soms is dinge net te akademies van aard”
  
• Cartoonist - Weyni Deysel, The Citizen, for the fall of Carl Niehaus
  
• Photography - Alon Skuy for The Times and Mail & Guardian for his photo essay “Living Inside a Bridge”
  
• Sport - Johann Russouw, RSG Sport, on the terrorist attack of the Sri Lankan cricket team
  
• Community Media - Paddy Hartdegen of What Now magazine for “Water Crisis”
  
• Online (sponsored by Nokia) - Livhuwani Mammburu from The Times Online for “Police attack Disabled Student”
  
• Editors Choice - Sikonathi Mantshantsha of Finweek

“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.