Two Stellenbosch University (SU) alumni were recently awarded the 2021 Taco Kuiper Award for investigative journalism.
Pieter-Louis Myburgh, who works for Daily Maverick, shared the prize with Dewald van Rensburg, who works for amaBhungane, and Van Rensburg’s colleague, Susan Comrie.
This is according to Anton Harber, convenor for the Taco Kuiper Awards and professor at the journalism department at the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits).
Van Rensburg graduated from the department of journalism at SU in 2006, while Myburgh graduated from the same department in 2009.
The recent Taco Kuiper Award was awarded to two alumni of the Stellenbosch University’s (SU) department of journalism, Pieter-Louis Mybugh and Dewald van Rensburg. “[Myburgh and Van Rensburg’s] work emphasise that it is only through investigative journalism that the mighty can be held accountable – indeed, that South Africa can be saved from the brink of becoming a failed state,” said Lizette Rabe, head of the department of journalism at SU. PHOTO: Na’ilah Ebrahim
“The award was established in 2006 after the death of publisher Taco Kuiper, who left a large sum of money to support investigative journalism. His Valley Trust approached me and we agreed to do it as a Wits Journalism/Valley Trust venture,” explained Harber.
The Award is considered the country’s biggest and most prestigious prize for journalism, said Harber via written correspondence with MatieMedia. “It is […] the best exemplar of investigative reporting in South Africa during the previous year,” Harber added.
Myburgh won the award for his series of articles on the Digital Vibes scandal. Van Rensburg and Comrie won the award for their work on the United Phosphorus Limited Chemical Disaster investigations. This is according to the Wits Journalism website.
“The Taco Kuiper Awards are a true celebration of investigative journalism in South Africa,” said Pieter-Louis Myburgh in written correspondence with MatieMedia. Myburgh sent out a tweet congratulating both Susan Comrie and Dewald van Rensburg, with whom he shared the award, on 13 April. PHOTO: Twitter/PLMyburgh
“The [Taco Kuiper] Awards attract the very best of journalism offerings in any particular year, so just to be shortlisted is an honour,” said Myburgh via written correspondence with MatieMedia. Myburgh described the award as a welcome boon in an industry that often has its fair share of challenges. “I am incredibly thrilled and grateful for the recognition.”
“The Taco Kuiper Awards is of course prestigious and I think everyone enjoys recognition for their work,” Van Rensburg said in written correspondence with MatieMedia. Van Rensburg also explained that the series of stories for which he won the award with Comrie, is not the “usual story” which dominates the awards, such as the “usual-corruption-and-state-failure frame”.
Professor Lizette Rabe, the head of the department of journalism at SU, congratulated both Myburgh and Van Rensburg. “Our department is not only proud of them, but they are an inspiration to us,” said Rabe.
The importance of investigative journalism
“[investigative journalism] is a crucial mechanism for bringing about transparency and accountability, especially when [the] government and its top leaders are opaque and act with impunity when it comes to important governance matters affecting us all,” Myburgh added.
Van Rensburg explained that investigative journalism is also important for legal accountability. “It is true that investigative journalism sometimes leads to accountability in a very direct way but ‘normal’ journalism, when done well, is probably just as important if not more so.”
“Non-profit organisations like amaBhungane addresses the question of independence and trust. At the very least there are no corporate owners who would be perceived to be pulling strings in the newsroom,” said amaBhungane journalist Dewald van Rensburg in written correspondence with MatieMedia. PHOTO: Supplied/Dewald Van Rensburg
*MatieMedia is a student-run publication managed by students at the journalism department of Stellenbosch University. Lizette Rabe is the head of the department.