The Namibian bags wins at EFN Journalism Awards

The Namibian walked away with most of the accolades at the Editors’ Forum of Namibia (EFN) 2023 Journalism Awards in Windhoek on Thursday.

The event was attended by president Hage Geingob and various local and South African editors.

Journalists of The Namibian scooped awards in five categories out of seven.

Former The Namibian business reporter Lazarus Amukeshe won the journalist of the year award.

He also received an accolade in the business, finance and economic development category.

“This came as a surprise. I am overjoyed,” Amukeshe said. “It was not a one-man show, it was a lot of work that a lot of people put in.”

The Namibian’s investigative reporter Shinovene Immanuel, along with Tileni Mongudhi, and Namibian Sun’s Mathias Haufiku and Kosmos Radio’s Yanna Smith won in the politics and public governance category.

The Namibian’s Timo Shihepo and July Nafuka of the Namibian Broadcasting Corporation, as well as Sam Sole, were joint winners in the agriculture, environment, forestry and fisheries category.

Also among the winners was Joyce Kondo, who won the video category on a Fishrot fashionista report she worked on with Shihepo for The Namibian.

Namibia Media Holdings’ Tielman van Lill was named sport journalist of the year.

The Namibian’s Charmaine Ngatjiheue and James Jamu scooped the mining and energy reporting award.

“I am so happy that our hard work has paid off. We took two weeks in the Kavango region, hitch-hiking from place to place” Ngatjiheue said.

“It goes without saying that Shinovene really contributed a lot, and Timo, they really did a lot. There’s a whole team behind the scenes,” she said.

The Namibian’s Mercy Karuu­ombe emerged as the winner in the education, health and social development category.

The editor of The Namibian, Tangeni Amupadhi, said there is a need for journalists to challenge themselves and that more could be done better.

“I am humbled with all the hard work that has been put in and has been recognised. Thanks to you guys, keep it going,” he remarked.

“I can preach as much as I want, or ask you to do this and that, but if you do not carry it out to the best of your abilities, it won’t happen,” Amupadhi said.

Geingob said he wished the free media environment in Namibia would continue beyond his tenure.

The awards ceremony also featured an interview conducted by 2021 journalist of the year Sonja Smith with Israeli historian and author Yuval Noah Harari.

The awards come at a time that Namibia has been honoured as a pre-eminent defender of press freedom in Africa, during the International Festival for Freedom of Expression and the Press in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.