About African Eye News Service
African Eye News Service editor wins Nat Nakasa award
Justin Arenstein, the founding editor of the African Eye News Service (AENS),
has been named winner of the 2002 Nat Nakasa Award for Media Integrity &
Courageous Journalism.
The annual award honors southern African media figures who report
fearlessly, resist censorship, and show integrity in the face of often
insurmountable obstacles.
"The Nat Nakasa award is not a competition for the best story or even the
best journalist. Nominees are exceptional people, showing courage,
perseverance, commitment, defying odds and authorities," said Peter
Sullivan, chairman of the Print Media South Africa (PMSA) media freedom
committee.
He added: "Justin was our unanimous final choice for his extraordinary
work. He satisfied every one of our criteria: commitment to serve, fearless
reporting, tenacious survival despite obstacles, courage in providing
information, training and mentoring new reporters."
Of the 15 journalists nominated for the prestigious award, two others
were given "special mention" by the judges, Elise Tempelhoff of Beeld and
Martin Welz of Noseweek.
Arenstein, 32, a self-trained and self-employed journalist, launched AENS
in 1995 with his personal savings, a relative's second-hand computer and two
trainee journalists, after they were sacked from the Lowveld News for
insisting on equal salaries for black and white reporters.
Arenstein has since braved death threats and nuisance litigation to break
a string of major corruption and human rights stories of regional interest.
He has also pioneered regional cross-border investigative reporting, and
mentored many of South Africa's brightest young black writers.
AENS, which Arenstein continues to head, remains unaffiliated and
financially independent with 10 permanent editorial staff, plus 30
freelancers in 12 African countries.
Elise Tempelhoff was nominated for her work in exposing the Krion pyramid
scheme in the Vaal Triangle, during which she received death threats, and
for her exposé of steel giant Iscor's pollution in the area, done in 109
reports.
Martin Welz started Noseweek, a satirical and investigative journal, in
1993. His nomination credited the journal with exposing Reserve Bank
practices in 1996, showing up Sol Kerzner and ABSA in 1998, and Old Mutual
and SAA in 2001. Noseweek has exposed malpractice by attorneys and
accountants. More recently it reported fearlessly on the arms deal and the
showdown between Judge Willem Heath and President Mbeki.
The award, named in memory of prominent black consciousness writer and
journalist Nat Nakasa, is underwritten by the South African National
Editors' Forum (SANEF), Print Media South Africa, and the Nieman Society of
Southern Africa
Previous winners include: Jon Qwelane (1989); Mzilikazi wa Afrika (1999);
Mathatha Tsedu and Wolfram Zwecker jointly in 2000; and in 20001 the Sunday
Times investigations team, consisting of Mzilikazi wa Afrika, André Jurgens
and Jessica Bezuidenhout. |
.gif)
