News24’s, Sikonathi Mantshantsha made a powerful comeback by winning top honours at investigative journalism awards
- Sikonathi Mantshantsha won the top prize while Dewald van Rensburg got the runner-up prize.
- Trillian whistleblower Bianca Goodson thanks investigative journalists
- Holding power to account is imperative for functioning democracy
The 19th Taco Kuiper Awards served as a reminder of the vital role investigative journalism plays in holding power to account. The stories uncovered wrongdoing and injustice. The annual awards ceremony hosted by the Wits Centre for Journalism was held at Sakhumzi Zoo lake on Friday, April 11.
News24’s Sikonathi Mantshantsha earned top recognition for his explosive series Waste Land, which revealed the devastating collapse of sewage and sanitation infrastructure in Mogale City Municipality.
Having returned to the newsroom after working for Eskom, Mantshantsha reflected on how much this award means to him. “For me to still get full acceptance back into the newsroom after three years of national service was a great honour, and the fact that nearly a year after coming back, I am awarded like this tops it all, it’s the highlight of my career,” said Mantshantsha.
The runner-up prize went to Dewald Van Rensburg of amaBhungane for his intricate series The Laundry, which investigated an elaborate money-laundering operation involving billions of rands and international networks.
Van Rensburg said, “It is fantastic to have the kind of work we do acknowledged because it is very specialised and it is nice to know that people appreciate it.”
The ceremony also cast a light on the often-unseen burdens borne by journalists and their sources. Bianca Goodson, the Trillian whistleblower who helped expose the dodgy dealings between the Gupta-linked Trillian, Eskom, and Transnet delivered an emotional keynote address.
She spoke about the personal cost of coming forward and extended heartfelt thanks to those who supported her and her daughter throughout the ordeal. “I feel very strongly that if it wasn’t for not just amaBhungane but also other journalists that supported not just my narrative, but everyone else that came together, I don’t think my daughter and I would be here today,” she said.
As the country continues to grapple with corruption, inequality, and systematic failure, the journalists honoured this year demonstrated that there are still those willing to speak truth to power.
FEATURED IMAGE: From left to right: Taco Kuiper Awards convenor, Beauregard Tromp; 2025 winner, Sikonathi Mantshantsha and Taco Kuiper judge, Tom Cloete. Photo: Paul Botes
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