Six winners of the 2014 SADC Media Awards have been announced and presented with the prize of US$2000.00 each during the opening ceremony of the 34th Southern African Development Community (SADC) Heads of State and Government Summit in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe.
The Chairperson of SADC, President Arthur Peter Mutharika of Malawi presented the awards to Ms. Felicity Male from Botswana, Mr Simango Alfredo Henriques from Mozambique, Ms Jacqueline Hindjou-Mafwila from Namibia, Mr. Factmore Dzobo from Zimbabwe, Ms Emelda Shonga-Mwitwa from Zambia and Mr Munyaradzi Chamalimba from Zimbabwe.
Two of the Awards are for excellence on reporting on transboundary Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) in the region and the other four are for excellence in promoting regional integration in SADC.
Mr. Dzobo from the Chronicles Newspaper in Zimbabwe received the Award in the Print Water Category, for his report on the need for SADC Member States to utilize transboundary watercourses to promote regional integration.
The Award in the Photo Water Category went to Ms. Male from Botswana Press Agency for her photo depicting water cooperation by, Botswana, Lesotho and South Africa ministers responsible for water during the signing of the memorandum of understanding for the three countries to draw water from the Orange Senqu River.
The Awards for excellence in the coverage of integrated water resources management was introduced in 2007 by the SADC Water Sector programme with funding from the Royal Danish Embassy to enhance awareness raising on water issues within the region, and to motivate journalists to write about transboundary water issues.
The Awards for excellence in promoting regional integration in SADC went to Mr Chamalimba for the Photo Category for his entry which highlighted how Zambia and Zimbabwe collaborated in co-hosting on the United Nations World Tourism Organisation General Assembly.
Ms Shonga-Mwitwa’s received the Award in the Print category for her feature article which appeared in the Zambia Daily Mail focusing on the strides made by the SADC Region in Gender equality.
The Award for the Television Category went to Mr Henriques for his entry which highlighted the effects of poaching of rhinos on the South African and Mozambican tourism industries and discussed the future of rhinos which are in demand in the SADC region.
Ms Hindjou-Mafwila received the Award in the Radio Category for a feature on desertification in the SADC region and how Member States were addressing its effects of land degradation.
