Limpopo-based newspapers once again did exceptionally well during the third annual MDDA/Sanlam Local Media Awards.

This prestigious awards ceremony took place at the Birchwood Hotel & OR Tambo Conference Centre in Johannesburg on Friday, 24 May, and serves as platform where excellence in grassroots and local media is promoted, with more than 500 entries received in the newspaper categories.

ThePolokwane Observer once again scooped up the prestigious Hultzer trophy as the best corporate-owned paid-for newspaper with a circulation below 10 000 per week, with the judges remarking that this publication could hold its own against better-resourced publications that enjoy national support. Two other Polokwane publications also received top honours in the newspaper awards category, with The Eye News walking away with the title of best front page in the Community/Grassroots Media category and Titimuleni Nthavela winning the front page category in the Independent Emerging Newspaper (two to five years) category. The Eye News was also runner-up in the Best Newspaper category for Community/Grassroots Media.

Photographer Herman Steyn of The Post (Die Pos) in Bela-Bela also did his province proud when he walked away with the coveted Press Photographer of the Year award. Not only did he take top honours in this category, he also scooped up the best news photographer and best features and portraits photographer categories.

The award ceremony coincided with the annual national seminar and annual general meeting (AGM) of the Forum of Community Journalists (FCJ). The seminar was attended by about 90 delegates from across South-Africa, with Mr Mzilikaze wa Afrika and attorney Willem de Klerk as keynote speakers.

Wa Afrika is an award-winning investigative journalist working for the Sunday Times's investigative unit and is probably best known for his arrest in August 2010 on charges of fraud and defeating the ends of justice, which escalated the debate in South Africa about media freedom in light of the proposed Media Appeals Tribunal and Protection of Information Act. He was later released and all charges against him dropped with an apoligy from the Minister of Police. His presentation entitled Journalists under Seige – We are our own worst enemies gave journalists a lot to think about regarding how they report on acts of intimidation against them with reference to the large number of journalists being killed in the line of duty. Wa Afrika mentioned that according to the Committee to Protect Journalists, 70 journalists were reported killed around the world during 2012, of which 15 were from Africa.

“And the carnage hasn’t stopped as the monotonous killings of our colleagues continue unchallenged ... This year alone (this is the fifth month of year), already 19 journalists were killed and 11 other scribes were also slaughtered and the motive for their deaths is not yet confirmed. Again politicians are suspected to be behind these murders,” Wa Afrika said.

De Klerk, who specializes in media law, in turn gave an informative presentation on newspapers that use social media platforms to market their publications and to encourage readers to communicate their thoughts on articles more freely. His focus was on where to draw the line when it comes to possible defamatory comments posted by readers and the legal consequences this holds for publications.

The national seminar was followed by the FCJ’s AGM. During the AGM, the news editor of the Zoutpansberger, Andries van Zyl, was elected as national chairperson of the FCJ. He was also re-elected as provincial chairperson of the FCJ for Limpopo.