By Awande Mabizela
The Durban University of Technology’s Faculty of Arts and Design recently honoured its Journalism students at the annual Journalism Students’ Achievement Awards.
The awards ceremony was held at the City Campus’s Arthur Smith Hall on 15th August 2024.
The event, themed “Celebrating new factual African storytellers”, underscored the crucial role of truth and storytelling in the media landscape.
The awards ceremony included prizegiving, performances, showcasing the students’ short documentaries and panel discussions of DUT alumni.
The awards provided insight into the media industry and an opportunity to network, as there was a panel of speakers who were all DUT alumni.
The speakers included award-winning journalist Sakhiseni Nxumalo, KwaZulu-Natal Tourism and Film Authority’s Public Relations and Communications Unit senior manager Pinky Radebe, journalist and award winning author Dudu Busani-Dube and Amazulu Football Club public relations officer Brilliant Mkhathini.
Ayesha Mall, print journalism lecturer, expressed her excitement about the awards ceremony: “I feel proud and very happy when I see students receive awards for their hard work and commitment to their studies.”
She emphasised the significance of the awards. ”It’s important for students to be celebrated. It instills a sense of pride and accomplishment in the students. This form of recognition inspires awardees to strive to do their best and it inspires their peers too.”
DUT Journalism lecturer Siphumele Zondi acknowledged the recipients for their outstanding work.
“You’ll find that a variety of students were recognised. There are those who are theoretical, who have a brilliant eye for photography, who can tell great stories, students who can film and edit well, and those who have great digital concepts and abilities. So, it’s not one type of student that is honoured, and that’s what’s great about it.”
He added that the event not only acknowledges students’ work, but also provides additional support to the Journalism Programme and its students.
“We hope (that) it encourages even those who don’t see the need to push hard to do so in order for them to also be on the stage. Also, apart from the wins, the students get to have fun on the day with various entertainment performances because university can’t just be about modules and deadlines. A great culture of fun must exist at the university,” Zondi said.
Zondi advised Journalism programme students to prepare for the digital storytelling world, saying that modern journalism demands significant time and effort.
Whitney Essay, the recipient of the Student of the Year Award, expressed her gratitude. ”I think, without a doubt, this boosts morale. Students are encouraged to work harder so that they can find themselves on the stage, being acknowledged and celebrated too. It also gives students who put in the work something to look forward to.”
Third-year student Ndumiso Khuzwayo, who received the Television Award and the Credible Source by DUT Excellence in Storytelling Award, said: ”I’m completely overwhelmed with gratitude and joy. Receiving these awards is a surreal moment for me. I’m still trying to process it all. It’s an incredible honour to be recognised by my department. I am thankful to everyone who has supported me along the way, and I thank all the lecturers who believed in me and pushed me to reach my full potential,” he said.
Khuzwayo added that the awards were a motivation. “I think it’s fantastic that the university hosts these awards to recognise students. It’s a great way to promote competition and excellence among us students, which can drive us to push beyond our limits, strive for greatness. It creates a culture of ambition and motivation, encouraging students to work harder and aim higher.”
The Journalism Students’ Achievement Awards showcase the successful implementation of DUT’s Envision 2030 programme, providing exceptional learning opportunities for skill and technology in contemporary journalism.
