Taco Kuiper Award Winners

2011 WINNER

Mzilikazi wa Afrika, Rob Rose and Stephan Hofstatter, Sunday Times: "Mac’s dodgy millions"

The judges said of the winners: When one takes on a man like Mac Maharaj, one has to have a cast-iron case. That is not easy when it is a case which has stymied the Scorpions. The Sunday Times team spent months pursuing it, and found the smoking gun: a consultancy agreement that set out how money would flow from a company bidding for a major tender with Maharaj’s department to his wife. They had dates, amounts and bank account numbers - the detail that turns a good investigation into a great one. Maharaj could not take action against the paper, as he had done elsewhere. He tried bluster, but none of the facts of the story have been challenged. The thud one heard as one read the story was the sound of an important politician being nailed to the wall.”


Runners-up

Michael Kimberley, Msindisi Fengu, Lindile Sifile and Mark Andrews, Daily Dispatch: "Dead on Arrival" and "Exhuming the Truth"

The judges said: “Many entries this year dealt with corruption, but this East London paper had a major story about newborns at Eastern Cape hospitals dying of infection and another in which they visited 17 mortuaries across the province to document despicable condition. It was rigorous and resourceful enterprise journalism on important social issues, powerfully written and presented. The hospital chief was fired and reforms implemented in the mortuaries. In our second Taco Kuiper Awards in 2007, a Daily Dispatch team won the prize for an exposé of hospital conditions; six years later, they are still pushing for changes and improvements. Our media is sometimes criticised for neglecting those other than the urban elite or being only interested in sensation and profit; here the newspaper showed itself to be a strong and concrete ally of local citizens in their fight for decent health and social services.”

2010 WINNER

Mzilikazi wa Afrika and Stephan Hofstatter, Sunday Times: “Police commissioner and the SAPS lease”.

The story by Mzilikazi wa Afrika and Stephan Hofstatter was an extraordinary account of how the Police Commissioner Bheki Cele had influenced a R500-million lease deal with businessman Roux Shabangu without a proper tender process. The series also detailed a similar lease agreement on the cards in Durban.

The judges said of the winning entry: “Despite strong reactions from the authorities, the newspaper was vindicated by the Public Protector and, as we speak, the positions of the Police Commissioner and the Minister of Public Works are up for debate.”

Two days after breaking the story Mzilikazi wa Afrika was ostentatiously arrested on trumped up charges which were subsequently dropped.

 

Runner up

Sipho Masondo, The Times: “Mines and the Environment” 

This series of articles about the threat of acid mine drainage led the judges to say: “The series of stories broke after the reporter picked up on something said in a parliamentary committee. He followed his instincts and went in pursuit of the story with passion and commitment, commanding – unusually for an environmental story in a daily newspaper – the front page more than once.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

2009 WINNER

Rob Rose, Financial Mail/ Sunday Times: ‘South Africa’s Madoff’.

The award was for a series of articles on fraudster Barry Tannenbaum and the way in which he swindled some of South Africa's biggest and most respected businessmen and investors out of millions, raising questions on how a seemingly well-connected and influential man could deceive so many of his peers.

RUNNERS UP
Susan Puren, producer, and Devi Sankaree Govender, presenter, Carte Blanche: ‘ Chicken Run’.

2008 WINNER 

 Sam Sole, Stefaans Brümmer and Adriaan Basson, Mail & Guardian: ‘Arms Deal Story’

Read the winning articles:

Smokes, sex and the arms deal, Smokes, sex and the arms deal contd., How arms bribes were paid, How arms bribes were paid contd.

RUNNERS UP
Nicola de Chaud and Odette Schwegier, producers, and Devi Sankaree Govender, presenter, Carte Blanche: ‘Police Corruption in Hammanskraal’

Dumisane Lubisi and Jacky Mapiloko, City Press: ‘Tender Corruption in Sowetan Hospital’

Read the articles:

R1.2bn tender scandal, R1.2bn tender scandal ctd., HOD's transformation plans backfire - public works department forced to cancel contract with black company, The Gauteng Department of Public Transport, Roads and Works 'article to City Press on Jabulani Hospital

2007 WINNERS 

Brett Horner, Chandre Prince and Ntando Makhubu, Daily Dispatch: ‘Expose of Neo-natal Frere Hospital in the Eastern Cape’

Read the winning articles:

Why Frere's babies die, July 12 2007, A mother's pain, July 13 2007, HRC and health council join Frere fray, July 14 2007, Frere a 'national emergency', July 16 2007, Two traumatised moms tell of their martenity unit ordeals, July 18 2007, Top nurse under fire, July 19 2007, Massive Frere reforms, July 23 2007

RUNNERS UP
Stefaans Brümmer, Stephen Sole, Zukile Majova, Nic Dawes, Adriaan Basson and Pearlie Joubert, Mail & Guardian: ‘Jackie Selebi Scandal’

Read the articles:

Another rogue for Selebi's gallery, June 1 to 7 2007, Behind the raid, June 1 to 7 2007, Selebi: Another doggy friend, June 1 to 7 2007, Varejes and the Tigon collapse, June 1 to 7 2007, Scorpions spotlight back on Selebi, May 11 to 17 2007, Scorpions net closes on Selebi, May 11 to 17 2007, 'Selebi took Kebble cash' - Front Page, October 19 to 25 2007, 'Selebi took Kebble cash', October 19 to 25 2007, 'How Selebi shielded Agliotti', October 19 to 25 2007, Pikoli: the Selebi connection, September‚ 28 to October 4 2007, Pikoli: Selebi is the issue, September 28 to October 4 2007

2006 WINNERS

Adriaan Basson and Carien du Plessis, Beeld/ Die Burger: ‘Investigation into Corruption at the Department of Correctional Services’

RUNNERS UP
Zukile Majova, Stephen Patrick, Sam Sole, Nicholas Dawes and Stefaans Brümmer, Mail & Guardian: ‘Jackie Selebi and Brett Kebble Investigation

Read the articles:

Kebble arrest - What now Selebi? (Cover Page), Selebi in firing line, You first read about it in the M&G, Selebi - Here's the evidence Minister! (Cover Page), Here's the evidence - The safety and security minister asked for evidence. It is right under his nose

Fred Kockott and Sibusiso Ngalwa, Sunday Tribune: ‘KZN abuse of the national Nguni cattle herd and the Ithala Finance Development Corporation’

Read the articles:

KZN watchdog, On the horns of a dilemma, Ndebele gives back herd, Senior suspensions suspect, Rose dont smell so sweet, Ithala “piggy bank for elite