The Vhembe region boasts two of the best local newspapers in the country and some of the industry’s top community-media journalists. This was proven again on Friday night when the Limpopo Mirror and the Zoutpansberger won several top prizes at what is described as the “Oscars” of the local news industry: the annual awards function of the Forum of Community Journalists (FCJ).

This year’s competition was exceptionally tough, with the panel of judges sifting through more than 500 entries. The entries were dominated by journalists and photographers from the two major publishing groups, Caxton and Media24. Independently owned titles, such as the Limpopo Mirror and Zoutpansberger, had to compete head-on against their larger counterparts as the categories for independent papers had been dropped this year.

Despite this, the Limpopo Mirror did exceptionally well, ending up among the top ten finalists in the Paid Newspaper of the Year category. The category was won by the Zululand Observer, with the Lowvelder in second place.

In the writing categories, Vhembe journalists demonstrated that they do not stand in the shadow of the big papers with large newsrooms. Anton van Zyl, editor of the Limpopo Mirror, won the highly competitive Investigative Reporting category. Anton has won this category on several occasions, again proving that you do not need to operate in a big city with the support of a large team to write articles that change society.

The articles that impressed the panel of judges focused on a local Ponzi scheme and corruption within the National Lotteries Council. Anton was part of the team that exposed corruption with lottery money totalling billions of rands. Last year, he also investigated a scam where local investors lost millions by investing in a pyramid scheme.

Daleen Naudé from the Middelburg Observer was second in the Investigative Reporting category, with Christiaan Cloete from the Vaalweekblad finishing third. Daleen also received the Journalist of the Year award on Friday night.

One of the categories that goes to the heart of local journalism, the Hard News Category, was dominated by Vhembe journalists, though they did not secure a top three place. Andries van Zyl (editor of the Zoutpansberger), Anton van Zyl, and Kaizer Nengovhela (Limpopo Mirror) all finished in the top 10. The winner was Dave Savides (Zululand Observer), with Gerhard Rheeder (Middelburg Observer) second and Michelle Pienaar (George Herald) third.

Andries van Zyl also ended in the top 10 in the Sport Writing category, which was won by Hugo Redelinghuys from the Suid-Kaap Forum. Frank Mavhungu, a sportswriter and photographer for the Limpopo Mirror, was also a top-10 finalist in the Sport Photography category. The award for the best sports photographer went to Wayne van der Walt from the Highvelder.

“The dedication and talent displayed by community journalists in various writing and photography categories underscore the vibrancy and diversity of community journalism in South Africa,” said the FCJ.

The main sponsor of the competition and Friday night’s event, which took place at the Sandton Hotel, was AVBOB. In his address, AVBOB CEO Carl van der Riet said: “Our support for these AVBOB FCJ Excellence Awards stems from a shared purpose: we both believe in the power of community. We are deeply rooted in the communities we serve, and we see community journalism as a vital source of information and empowerment.”

In conclusion, Van der Riet said: "As a business, we stand ready to continue our support for community media—as one of the platforms to reach communities—in order to preserve a vibrant, diverse, and independent press. Tonight, we are celebrating brave and exceptional journalism! To all the nominees and winners, heartfelt congratulations. The stories you tell matter, your voices matter, and your impact is undeniable.”