Independent Newspapers' journalists continue to be heaped with awards

Bruce Cameron of Independent Newspapers' Personal Finance won the personal finance section of the award.

In addition, Debbie Yazbek, The Star's multiple award winning chief photographer, was named as a finalist in the CNN MultiChoice African Journalist 2005 competition. Yazbek is a former winner of the Nat Nakasa award for integrity and fearless journalism, and the winner of the photographic category of last year's Vodacom Journalist of the Year. Benjamin Joffe Walt of Independent Newspapers, the publishers of The Star's Foreign Service, was also named as a finalist in the CNN competition. The two join Adrian Ephraim of The Star's sports department who won Most Promising Newcomer in the annual SAB Sports Journalist of the Year Award, held in Johannesburg earlier last week.

These winning performances follow hot on the heels of the Group's achievements at the annual Mondi Awards for Excellence in Print Journalism, where The Star's Jonathon Ancer and Solly Maphumulo won the hard news section, while their colleague Neo Ntsoma collected the photographic category award, and the Sunday Independent's Jeremy Gordin was named best columnist.

Editor of The Star, Moegsien Williams, said he was extremely proud of everybody's achievements. "These awards show the diversity of our team, from the very senior to the youngest and the breadth of talent that lies in our newsrooms, reinforcing The Star's reputation as one of the flagship newspapers on the continent.

"Debbie is without doubt one of the country's foremost press photographers. She has an ability to capture hard news and the more arty type of picture with equal poignancy.

"At The Star, therefore, we are not surprised that her pictures can be counted amongst the best in Africa."