MAKHADO (LOUIS TRICHARDT) - The Zoutnet group once again showed that small can be dangerous by featuring prominently in several categories and winning several main awards in the 2004 Sanlam Awards for Community Newspapers and the Nissan/Capro Newspaper of the Year Competition.

In the Nissan/Capro Newspaper of the Year Competition, the Limpopo Mirror walked away with the trophy for Newspaper of the Year for newspapers with a circulation below 10 000. The Zoutpansberger was highly commended in the same competition for its motoring supplements.

Entries for the Sanlam competition are in different categories. Competition is tough and experienced judges require very high standards. This year, 1 504 individual entries were received, with 152 community newspapers and 446 journalists taking part. There were 2 001 advertisements and 715 photographs entered in the competition.

In the very competitive category Theme Pages (1 to 4 pages) as part of the paper, the Zoutpansberger team again claimed the first prize. This award means that the Zoutpansberger outshone all community newspapers, both with a circulation below and above 10 000. The Zoutpansberger also won this category in 2003.

The Zoutpansberger was runner-up in the Sanlam-Hultzer award for the Newspaper of the Year with a circulation below 10 000. The Zoutpansberger was beaten by the Eikestadnuus by a narrow margin of 2%.

The Zoutpansberger’s News Editor, Andries van Zyl, also had the spotlight on him when he received third prize in the category for News Photographer of the Year. Andries was also credited for his writing skills in the category Human Interest stories. In Sanlamgram, the judges held his story on the death of the Du Preez children as an example of skilled writing. Andries obtained the seventh place in this category. Elijar Mushiana of the Limpopo Mirror obtained the 10th position in the same category. In the category for stories on Local Government, Andries obtained 82% and an eighth position in a highly competitive category.

The Zoutpansberger obtained a seventh place in the category Front Pages for Small Town Newspapers, a category which it has won in two previous years. The paper is determined to recapture its first position next year.

The glittering Sanlam Award Ceremony at the Misty Hills Hotel in Midrand on the 17th was attended by 350 delegates, followed by another gala event on the 18th. The weekend, packed with award ceremonies, reached its climax when Wikus Lee, editor of the Limpopo Mirror, received the trophy for Best Newspaper of the Year in the Nissan/Capro Competition. The newspaper as a whole is judged on lay-out, news/editorial content, photographs and advertisements.

“Fourteen years of hard work have been rewarded. Team effort and a lot of grace from Above won us this achievement, and we thank our loyal readers and advertisers who stood by us in good and hard times,” Wikus commented.

Capro, a national advertising procurement agency, represents around 170 publishers, most of whom belong to the Caxton group which owns the majority of the community papers in the country. Zoutnet is an independent group.

Even more reason to celebrate came when Zaidi Khumalo, editor of Kathorus Mail from Vosloorus received the award for the Best Emerging Newspaper in the Sanlam Competition. To the Zoutnet group, Zaidi feels like a brother because they play a part in the make-up of his newspaper. Zaidi operates a one-man show, being editor, news editor, sports editor, advertising and distribution manager and everything else.

“Our main role was that we believed in Zaidi and encouraged him to press through even when times were hard,” said Anton van Zyl, owner and manager of Zoutnet.