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2011 Vodacom Journalist of the Year: eastern regional winners

4 Oct 2011

The winners of the eastern region for the 2011 Vodacom Journalist of the Year Awards were announced yesterday, Monday, 3 October 2011 at a champagne breakfast event at the Protea Hotel Marine in Port Elizabeth. These awards aim to celebrate distinction by giving recognition to the individuals who continually dedicate their lives to report the news.

2011 Vodacom Journalist of the Year eastern region winners

The eastern region entries covered an array of topics with central themes on service delivery, unemployment and healthcare. One of the strongest themes to arise out of the region was the state of education.

Overall, the judges were very impressed with the quality of the work submitted by the regions. The winning journalists put intelligent thought into their stories and spent time researching and thoroughly analysing their work.

Category	Winner	Winning work	Judges' comments
Regional Columnist	Piet Naude of the Eastern Province Herald	'Meetings are a waste of Time'	One of the reasons frequently cited for South Africa's low productivity, amongst others, is that too much time is absorbed in meetings. The true state of productivity or lack thereof is examined in an article that seeks to establish the 'goings-on' of and the essence of meetings. In an article, 'Meetings are a waste of time', the writer, in a light-hearted fashion, and with a tongue-in-cheek approach, gives the reader a stand-out characteristic of those that attend meetings, their behaviour and how they see themselves in their newly acquired vocations.
Regional Community media	Lynn Erasmus of Your Money Publishing, Your Money	'Entrepreneur of the month'.	With this category, Vodacom has set out to reward excellent journalism at emerging and established independent community media institutions. For her consistent and diverse financial and business reporting in the Nelson Mandela Bay Metro, Grahamstown, East London, and Jeffrey's Bay
Regional Consumer Journalism	Gillian McAinsh of The Herald	Fair & Square: 'Squeaky couches dilemma'.	The winner in this category gives new meaning to being 'the voice of the voiceless'. In her weekly column launched only a week before the Consumer Protection Act came into effect, she fights on behalf of the consumer. In cases where the consumer is mistreated or ripped off, she manages to get an explanation or a settlement. She is a winner for her series of articles, which address all sorts of consumer problems
Regional Financial/Economic	Lee-Anne Butler of The Herald	More support needed for IDZs.	Of all the provinces in the country, the Eastern Cape is arguably the most affected by the state of unemployment. It is the 3rd largest populated province after KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng, and yet it has not received the kind of industrial support that its two luminary counterparts have mustered, which means that any attempts at boosting the local economy must vigorously be encouraged and promoted. There are already two Industrial Development Zones (IDZs) in the region, but these have not received the kind of support that would normally be expected in an area that requires turning the situation around, and more can be done to revitalise economic activity in this region. The winning piece for dissecting the imperatives of the region and calling for more support for the local IDZs
Regional Online Journalism	Brian Hayward, Eugene Coetzee, Estelle Ellis and Khanyi Ndabeni of The Herald	'Nelson Mandela Bay's crumbling state healthcare'	This entry demonstrated the importance of the relentless pursuit of a story and giving it coverage from as many perspectives as possible. In addition to the use of basic tenets of good journalism, came the good use of the online medium as well as excellent integration and linking of stories.
Regional Photography	Mlondolozi Mbolo of the Daily Dispatch	'Xhosa Rite Of Passage - Intonjan'	Culture is a story of a people. If photographs brilliantly capture this aspect, this job is commendable
Regional Print: Feature	Michael Kimberly, Sabelo Skiti and Mayibongwe Maqhina of the Daily Dispatch	'I am Eastern Cape'	These journalists' persistent and engaging series on local government and living conditions in the Eastern Cape catalogues an unedifying picture of avarice that has adversely impacted on service delivery
Regional Print: General News	Bongani Fezile of the Daily Dispatch	'Bhungeni informal settlement forced removals'	This journalist reported on the traumatic bulldozing of some 300 homes at the Bhungeni informal settlement outside Butterworth to make way for a shopping mall. He gave all the facts and followed the story for days afterwards, but also gave the drama a human face by highlighting the plight of some of the victims who are condemned to the most dehumanizing living conditions
Regional Radio: Feature	Unathi Binqose of SABC SAFM	'Imfundo'	The winning entry shows the impact lost learning has on a community. The story was an honest account of the plight of learners and parents at a primary school in the Motherwell township where teaching came to a complete standstill for over month. The squalor and lack of proper facilities, including running water and clean toilets, was powerfully captured. The outrage was cleverly portrayed. The call to action from the education authorities was immediate
Regional Radio: General News	Nkululeko Nyembezi of SABC Radio News	'Rape'	The plight of learners in the rural areas of Ngcobo in the Eastern Cape who travel long distances to and from school, and who are often raped and mugged, grabbed the attention of the authorities. The piece provided insight into the tragedy and the harsh life experiences of the learners. The story got the attention of the education authorities who responded immediately by introducing a transport service that is safe to ensure that the learners can go to school and return home unharmed
Regional Sport	Alvin Reeves of The Herald	'Lack of cricket facilities in PE townships'	Life without sport cannot be regarded as a balanced one. Sport is not just about having fun but also brings out the competitive streak in individuals. To be a worthy competitor means that training and coaching must be accompanied by the necessary infrastructure. The journalist displays a fair amount of tenacity and thereby exposes the desperation of schools in the townships for the necessary facilities. His visits close on two dozen schools, and gets a firsthand account of the poor conditions. Aptly put, "Bowlers can hone their trade on half decent surfaces but batsmen can't."
Regional Television: Feature	Nontsikelelo Nohiya of SABC, Cutting Edge Keith Sayster and Malusi Ntanzi of SABC, Fokus	'Long walk to education' 'Mud Schools'	The judges decided to award top honours to two entries on the same subject. Although we know the problems of education, these reports bring home the tragedy of youngsters who will never be able to compete, having spent their school days in derelict, often roofless rural schools. The teachers interviewed are committed and energetic, but they are helpless to transform the conditions
Regional Television: General News	Nonkumbulo Sithole and Neil Raath of eTV, eNews Channel	'Circumcision'	This piece highlights the ongoing clash of traditionalism and modernity. The filming of this private ritual is both cinematic and sensitive. It portrays the high death rate and mutilation, which led to the practice having to be suspended due to the hospitals not coping and being overcrowded by these young men needing urgent medical attention. A well-constructed, unsensational report on a difficult subject
Regional Editors' Choice	Yolande Stander, Avusa
Regional Cartoonist	Cuan Miles of the Daily Dispatch	'Causing a stink'	News values well caricatured images that bring humour to the reader about the serious issues of the day-to-day events of 2010

The regional winners were each awarded with R7500 and also stand a chance of being crowned the national winner of the 2011 Vodacom Journalist of the Year Awards at the national awards ceremony to be held on 4 November 2011 in Johannesburg.

The overall 2011 Vodacom Journalist of the Year Awards national winner will walk away with R125 000 in prize money, as well as being given the opportunity to donate an additional R125 000 to an official charity of his or her choosing.

The judges for the 2011 Vodacom Journalist of the Year Awards included, Advocate Robin Sewlal (convenor), Maud Motanyane (co-convenor), Ruda Landman, Professor Johann de Wet, Mary Papayya, Victor Matom, Dr Melanie Chait, Arthur (ZB) Molefe, Colin Nxumalo, Leonard Maseko, Tim Modise, Arthur Goldstuck and Max du Preez.

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