The Guardian of Governance Award is given annually to "those who uphold the prescripts of good governance and display remarkable ethical behaviour".
This year's recipients, unveiled at the Southern Africa Internal Audit Conference in Sandton, were the eight SABC journalists who were fired after "openly protesting [against] changes to the broadcaster's editorial policy - and who were victimised, had their lives threatened and were even shot at".
Busisiwe Ntuli, Lukhanyo Calata, Thandeka Gqubule, Foeta Krige, Krivani Pillay, Jacques Steenkamp, Vuyo Mvoko, now a senior news anchor with eNCA, and Suna Venter, who died in June, were fired by the public broadcaster last year for defying a new editorial policy which prohibited the airing of violent servicedelivery protests.
The Labour Court overruled their axing, forcing the SABC to reinstate them, but they soon became the victims of a campaign of intimidation and violence.
Venter, 32, a radio producer, died of stress cardiomyopathy which is caused by trauma and unnatural stress.
TV reporter Calata said it was "humbling and an honour" to be recognised by the Institute of Internal Auditors SA.
"We in the media will always be under attack. So we need to be vigilant and take deliberate steps to defend the freedom of the media because, in effect, we are defending democracy," he said.
SAFM executive producer Pillay said: "It is an honour. There is a need to save the broadcaster from political and outside pressure."
Calata said those behind the campaign against him and his colleagues "targeted the most vulnerable among us for their actions".
"Suna was a young, white, single woman who lived alone. I am just astounded by how incredibly brave she was. She bore it on our behalf and I will be forever indebted to her for her strength and bravery," he said.
Madonsela won the Guardian of Governance Award in 2016.
Source: The Times
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