Publications
News24 investigative journalist Kyle Cowan has scooped the 14th annual Taco Kuiper Award for his work on the Bosasagate scandal.
Cowan shared the 2018 award with amaBhungane's Susan Comrie. The event was held at the Wits Club in Braamfontein, Johannesburg on Friday.
Comrie's investigation piece on the Regiment Capital series, went toe-to-toe with Cowan's work on Bosasa.
The two recipients each received a prize of R120 000 for their investigative work.
"Bosasa is just one example of the institutionalised corruption that we as journalists, and the people of South Africa, are forced to confront every day. I am happy for the recognition of my work, which is a testament to the fantastic team at News24, who all contributed to my reporting. I share this with all of my colleagues," said Cowan.
Hard work
The excited journalist, dedicated the award to other investigative journalists to continue working in unearthing more hidden dirt.
"This is about hard work. I encourage everyone to remain focused and ensure that they produce clean copy that will entertain, shock and tell the truth as it is," concluded Cowan.
According to Professor of Journalism at the University of the Witwatersrand and convener of judges, Anton Harber, knocking down the finalists to the top three was the hardest part of the judging process.
"As always, we had to ask ourselves what we most value: Is it stories that have the most impact, or different ones that open up different parts of our society? Is it the racy story, or the one that shows dogged digging? Is it important to break the story first, or do it best.
"We attribute this to the general state of the industry, the particular troubles of some of our most regular entrants, and the inevitable focus on the big national story. We are sadly seeing fewer of the unexpected, different, left-field entrants that we so enjoy highlighting and encouraging," Harber said.
Runner-up prize
The runner-up prize was awarded to Pauli van Wyk from Daily Maverick for her entry which consisted of seven pieces she did over a year detailing the devastating effect of Tom Moyane's reign at the South African Revenue Services.
She received a prize of R60 000.The judges said they were disappointed at the number of entries this year. There were only 18 entries.
Zanele Mji from amaBhungane was given a special mention for "work that stood out for its quality". She compiled two pieces on land called "Those graves were title deeds" and "Cradle of Conflict".
Bosasagate:
You can read Cowan's stories here:
WATCH: Did Bosasa staff remove CCTV system from Vincent Smith's home
New life for Bosasa prosecution after 8-year delay
Exclusive: How Bosasa bragged about Zuma, NPA influence
Bosasa CEO's hidden R500k donation to Ramaphosa deconstructed
