SANEF announces 2024 Nat Nakasa Awards for Courageous Journalism
PICTURE: Nat Nakasa Awards winners: Kyle Cowan, Jeff Wicks, Vicky Abraham, Slindile Khanyile and Theo Jephta
The South African National Editors’ Forum (SANEF), in partnership with Sanlam, proudly announced the winners of the highly esteemed 2024 Nat Nakasa Awards for Courageous Journalism held in Umhlanga, Durban, on 14 September 2024.
These awards celebrate journalists who have demonstrated extraordinary bravery in their work, often in the face of great personal and professional risk.
For the first time in the history of the awards, the main Nat Nakasa Award for courageous journalism has been jointly awarded to three outstanding journalists, each of whom has made a significant impact with their fearless reporting:
- Kyle Cowan has been recognised for his investigative feature on the brutal and gruesome assassination of the Murray family
- Jeff Wicks is honoured for his relentless reporting on the assassination of whistleblower Babita Deokoran, a story that uncovered corruption in the health department
- Theo Jeptha has been awarded for his powerful coverage showing everyday struggles communities face, particularly in accessing basic rights such as education.
These three journalists epitomise the spirit of courageous journalism, risking their safety to shine a light on critical issues and expose injustices, said judge Crystal Orderson.
Nwabisa Makunga, SANEF chairperson, challenged the media fraternity to not be ‘deaf to the call of accountability; without fear or favour, nor be lethargic in our response to the abuse of power and injustice’.
‘This moment demands that we step up the challenge of history; that we are even more vigilant to the insidious nature of the abuse of power by those who claim to want the best for this nation,’ Makunga said.
She said this moment demanded high standards of integrity from editors, a standard to which they must hold themselves as individual media practitioners, media houses and of SANEF as an organisation.
Thami Nakasa, the nephew of Nat, said if the courage of journalists in Nat Nakasa’s era was done without fear or favour, the same excellence is expected in every journalist today.
‘This award is a great achievement that needs to be celebrated across our communities in the country. There are school kids who yearn to become not just journalists, but excellent ones,’ he said
Nwabisa Mpondo, market development specialist at Sanlam Mass Retail, said Nat Nakasa’s story is one of courage, integrity, and an unwavering commitment to truth. In the oppressive climate of 1960s apartheid South Africa, where the press was restricted and black voices were systematically silenced, Nakasa dared to speak out.
Nakasa’s legacy is woven into the fabric of South African journalism, not because he lived a long life, but because he lived a courageous one, and it serves as a testament to the transformative power of journalism.
‘Sanlam, as a cornerstone business in African society, has unwavering faith in the importance of truth. In a world filled with uncertainties and ever-changing economic and social landscapes, truth remains the bedrock upon which trust is established,’ Mpondo said.
Sanlam continues to play its rightful role as a responsible corporate citizen and supporter of media development. The group hosts the annual Sanlam summer school, a one-week seminar for emerging journalists from all over Africa that provides skills training on financial reporting.
More than 500 journalists have completed the programme and continue in one way or the other to make a meaningful contribution to a thriving media in Africa.
Sanlam also hosts the Sanlam Group Awards for Excellence in Journalism, recognising the best financial journalism on the continent over decades. These awards will celebrate 50 years in 2025 and aim to continue to inspire the next generation of business reporters for the next decades to keep spotlighting Africa’s rightful place in the global economy.
‘The journalists we honour today are not just chroniclers of events; you are custodians of our democracy. They ensure that the South African public remains informed, that the powerful remain accountable, and that our society remains just,’ said Mpondo.
Stephen Wrottesley Award 2024
The Stephen Wrottesley Award, given annually to a SANEF member for exceptional service to the organisation, has been awarded to Slindile Khanyile, head of Digital Publications and co-director of Likhanyile Tutoring and Media, as well as the editor of online publications Umbele and Umkhanyisi, in Durban.
According to the judges’ citation, Khanyile has shown outstanding dedication to SANEF’s goals, stepping up in her region during a challenging period when the regional convenor was on extended sick leave.
Khanyile worked tirelessly to ensure SANEF’s ongoing presence and impact, particularly in promoting community media participation. Her continued collaboration with the convenor upon their return has strengthened the region’s media landscape, especially through initiatives like training workshops and partnerships with the Electoral Commission (IEC).
Her dedication and commitment go above and beyond, and SANEF is proud to acknowledge her contributions with the Stephen Wrottesley Award.
Nat Nakasa Community Award 2024
The Nat Nakasa Community Award, honouring journalists who amplify local voices and foster community engagement, was awarded to Vicky Abrahams.
According to the judges, the quality of entries in this category was exceptional, but Abrahams stood out for her compelling series on blind students who were subjected to inhumane conditions, including being forced to eat food crawling with ants
These stories, which exposed racism, exploitation and unfair labour practices faced by deaf and partially blind students at PCD College in Pretoria, were described as ‘deeply impactful’ and ‘courageous’.
The work exemplified the commitment of community journalists, who often work with limited resources but remain determined to tell the most important stories of their communities.
Sanef congratulates all the winners of the 2024 Nat Nakasa Awards for their exceptional contributions to the profession and their unwavering commitment to truth and justice.
