Sunday Times shines with top media awards

THE Sunday Times clinched top honours this weekend at the Vodacom Journalist of the Year Awards for 2015.

Journalist Beauregard Tromp and photographer James Oatway won best print news and best photography as well as the overall prize for their gripping and exclusive coverage of the killing of Mozambican Emmanuel Sithole in Alexandra, Johannesburg.

Sithole was stabbed during xenophobic attacks that swept the country earlier this year.

Coverage of the killing, which included gut-wrenching photographs by Oatway of the stabbing, polarised the country and turned a spotlight on the brutality of attacks against foreigners, particularly those from other African countries.

The awards ceremony was held in Midrand on Friday night.

Mary Papayya, convener of the judging panel, said: “Our overall winners are examples of the synthesis of great media coverage. Without the determined coverage, South Africa and the world would never have known of the casual yet targeted brutality of the killing.”

Oatway said: “I’m feeling a bit conflicted — on one hand I’m honoured to have won the overall prize and thrilled to share it with my talented colleague, Beauregard. It’s great that the judges have acknowledged the importance of photojournalism at this level. On the other hand, the award has brought back the trauma of that day.

“It feels awkward being commended for experiencing something so violent and senseless. I am glad that these pictures evoked such a huge and emotional response in people. I’m happy the editor had the guts to publish them. We must never forget the name Emmanuel Sithole.”

Sports editor Bareng-Batho Kortjaas also earned the title of sport journalist of the year at the SA Sport Awards last weekend. — Farren Collins