Lensman ‘towered above all the rest’

He’s remembered for charisma, professionalism – and fun side

DEDICATED, talented, tremendous depth, funloving, creative, immaculate and witty are just some of the adjectives that will never do justice to describe Juda Ngwenya’s career as a photojournalist.

Ngwenya, 66, who died on Wednesday after a stroke, captured images of tremendous depth and creativity during his career in community newspapers, The Star and Reuters.

His sense of fun was always a sure guarantee to provide the wit and humour often required on news jobs during the dark days of apartheid and during the past 22 years of democracy.

Ngwenya’s reputation for his immaculate dress code, even during township riots, always made him stand out from the crowd.

During his long career, he was a chronicler of news in South Africa, across the continent and in far-flung areas of the world.

He did whatever was required to tell a story.

Some of the highlights of his career included covering bomb blasts in Nairobi, wars in Liberia and Angola, the 2002 Fifa World Cup in South Korea and elections in Africa.

“Juda was not only a great photographer and consummate professional. He was a terrific companion on the road and in the bureau – full of fun and bonhomie. An old cliché, but nevertheless true: they don’t make them like Juda anymore,” said Rodney Pinder, the former Thomson Reuters bureau chief in southern Africa.

His awards included the 1998 Abdul Sheriff Award and an award for best coverage of the floods that ravaged Mozambique in 2000. He was also a judge for World Press Photos in Netherlands in 1999 and 2004 and for the Fujifilm Awards in South Africa in 2002 and 2004.

He liked getting his hands dirty. One of his last projects was renovating his house for his wife Mwelase and youngest children, Nkanyezi and Ntombi, in Leondale, Boksburg.

In addition to his wife and younger children, Juda is survived by two sons, Vusi and Sibusiso, and eldest daughter, Bathabile.

Heartfelt sympathy from all his friends and colleagues is extended to his family.

He was a terrific companion on the road and in the bureau

DAILY LIFE: A woman with a basket of strawberries on her head cycles along the dusty main street in Ouagadougou. Burkina Faso, impoverished host of African Nations Cup, is a country where bicycles and mopeds are the main means of transport.

POLITICAL UNREST: South African police carry the body of a man who was shot dead by unknown gunmen at the Mandela squatter camp in Katlehong, Ekurhuleni, during the local government elections on December 5, 2000.

NEW DAWN: Nelson Mandela and former second deputy president FW de Klerk address a crowd of people in front of the Union Buildings after the first presidential inauguration on May 10, 1994.

ICONIC: Nkosi Johnson, 11, who has Aids, addresses the XIII International Aids Conference at Kingsmead Cricket Stadium July 9 2000.