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Momodou
Denmark
11828 Posts |
 Posted - 13 Aug 2007 : 21:52:44
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Musa Saidykhan Gets CNN Award
Seventeen African journalists have been honoured with the CNN MultiChoice 2007 journalist award in Cape Town, South Africa, at the weekend. A Gambian journalist, Musa Saidykhan, is among the continent's excellent journalists to be feted at the symbolic occasion graced by over 1, 500 distinguished personalities in the world.
Ugandan investigative journalist, Richard Kavuma of Weekly Observer, was crowned the highest award.
Kavuma outstripped 1, 669 competing journalists from over 40 African countries to lift the coveted prize.
Shola Oshunkeye, a general editor of Nigeria's Sun was the previous overall winner.
Describing the award as a "recognition for journalism that strives to put out people at the forefront," Kavuma said "the award has "renewed my dedication to act as a voice for the voiceless."
His eight series article on the assessment of Uganda's progress towards the Millennium Development Goals earned him the top prize. He is a graduate of Makerere University.
Not all the 26 finalists went home with prizes in the form of laptop computers, printers, modem, substantial cash, among others. Winners were announced in categories such as general news, features, sports, health, tourism, photography, free press Africa, among others. There were winners from South Africa, Kenya, Nigeria, Zambia, Zimbabwe, The Gambia, Cameroon, Mozambique and Burkina Faso.
Musa Saidykhan, who edited The Gambia's bi-weekly newspaper 'The Independent', until its arbitrary closure on March 28 last year, was feted the free press Africa award. Musa now lives in Senegal, where he continues to edit. He heads the West Africa department of Afrol News Agency.
He was, earlier on, contracted by The African Editor's Forum (TAEF) to do a four-month study on restrictive media laws in Africa. This continental body nominated him for the awards. TAEF cited Musa's ardent strives to champion press freedom in Africa, particularly The Gambia, where press freedom is still in transition, as a climate of fear continues to loom over journalists.
The colourful awards programme, which went alongside a lavish dinner, was jointly moderated by Jonathan Mann and Nothemba Madumo, anchors of CNN's INSIGHT Programme and South Africa's e.tv morning edition, respectively.
The highlights of the awards ceremony will be broadcast in 46 African countries this weekend. It will also be broadcast in OBE TV in the UK, Africa Channel in the United States, RTP Africa and CNN's Inside Africa on 28 July.
Africa's most celebrated anti-apartheid hero, Nelson Mandela, said he was honoured to be part of the awards because "journalist working in Africa perform a social function of immense importance.
"While the awards celebrates individual excellence, it honours all those who contribute to fulfilling this function at the same time," he said, hailing African journalists for playing a critical role in bringing information to the masses of people.
Tony Maddox, the Executive Vice President and Managing Director of CNN International, was fascinated by the growth of the awards this year.
He was delighted that CNN now has a network of journalist awards that stretches around the world.
"They came about because of the phenomenal success of CNN's African awards, something that all of us here today can be very proud of," he said.
MultiChoice's Chief Executive Officer for Africa, Eben Greyling, said, "as we celebrate excellence and fete the winners, please reflect on immense contribution that good journalism is making to sustain freedoms and improve the lives of Africans."
The awards is a brainchild of a Ghanaian, Edward Boateng, whose Global Media Alliance sponsored the sports category, which was won by a Kenyan journalist, James Wokabi.
At a farewell breakfast, Mr Boateng asked the honoured journalists to serve as good ambassadors of the awards because everything they do, good or bad, counts a lot.
Over the years, the awards had transformed the lives and careers of the winners, with all of them gaining fellowships to study abroad.
Joel Kibazo, a renowned Ugandan media consultant, chaired the judging panel of distinguished media professionals in Africa. Other panellists included the executive director of The Punch in Nigeria, Azubuike Ishiekhwene, Sofie Ly-Sow of Oxfam West Africa, Liseka Mda, Managing Editor of South Africa's City Press, Anna Umbima, a seasoned journalist.
Before the curtain was raised on the awards, finalists spent a week in Cape Town's Table Bay Hotel interacting with renowned journalists in the world. They toured around the townships, schools, museums, chatted with people living with HIV/AIDS as well as climbed the Table Mountain through a cable car.
The programme also featured a forum on a high-level panel discussion on free press in Africa. Moderated by TAEF chairman, Mathatha T-Sedu, the six panellists included journalists from Ethiopia, The Gambia, Nigeria, Malawi, South Africa and Ghana.
Source: Foroyaa Newspaper Burning Issue
Issue No. 94/2007, 13 - 14 August 2007
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