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NewsDay

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NewsDay journalists land top gongs

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NewsDay Masvingo correspondent, Tatenda Chitagu, is this year’s winner of the third Haller Prize for Development Journalism in sub-Saharan Africa, while the paper’s photojournalist, Tafadzwa Ufumeli has been awarded the Allard Prize Photography Competition for November 2016.

NewsDay Masvingo correspondent, Tatenda Chitagu, is this year’s winner of the third Haller Prize for Development Journalism in sub-Saharan Africa, while the paper’s photojournalist, Tafadzwa Ufumeli has been awarded the Allard Prize Photography Competition for November 2016.

By Staff Reporter

Tatenda Chitagu
Tatenda Chitagu

Chitagu beat 110 other contestants for the coveted award and walked away with a certificate and £3 000 for his unpublished story, Service Delivery, Accountability Just a Click Away in Zimbabwean City.

Nigeria’s Patrick Egwu Ejike came second, while another Zimbabwean, Tinashe Mushakavanhu, landed the third prize.

“I am elated and I thank the Almighty for the recognition. Special mention goes to Alpha Media Holdings (AMH), my employer, fellow journalists, family and sources for the continued support,” Chitagu, who is the immediate past winner of the Zimbabwe Human Rights Association (ZimRights) Human Rights Defender (HRD) Best Journalist of the Year for 2015, said. The organisers of the award said Chitagu managed to shrug off competition from “many insightful entries and the quality across the board was high, meaning that picking a winner was a difficult task”.

“We received 110 entries ranging from Nigeria to Kenya, to Ghana, Somalia, Burundi, Rwanda, Sierra Leone and Ethiopia in answer to this year’s topic: How best can digital technology empower development in sub-Saharan Africa? And where are the challenges?” Haller said on its website, www.haller.org/uk.

“Articles gave insight on the myriad challenges and opportunities of the digital revolution across Africa. From citizens using WhatsApp to communicate directly with town representatives to make sure infrastructure is improved in real time, to the many opportunities around learning skills and accessing services through digital tech.”

The top three articles will be published on African Arguments, a comment and analysis site of African current affairs and politics from inside the continent hosted by the Royal African Society and run in partnership with The World Peace Foundation and International Africa Institute.

Ufumeli, on the other hand, is among the six other winners from Nigeria, Russia, United States, Brazil and Bahrain.

“The Allard Prize Committee congratulates you on capturing a compelling image that reflects the ideals of the Allard Prize,” the awards body said in a congratulatory letter to Ufumeli.

Ufumeli will get a $1 000 cash prize.

Allard Prize for International Integrity’s Photography Competition recognises photojournalists, who capture images that reflect courage and leadership in combating corruption, especially through promoting transparency, accountability and the rule of law, and also awards those who photograph human rights violations.

Meanwhile, two more journalists from AMH scooped accolades at the Community Human Rights Defenders Awards held in Bulawayo last Friday and organised by ZimRights.

Tapiwa Zivira won the outstanding male HRD journalist award, while Phyllis Mbanje won the female category. NewsDay correspondent, Nunurai Jena won the Mashonaland West HRD award.