Indy photojournalist wins Standard Bank Sikuvile award for pro-Palestinian protest images

For Independent Media photographer Ayanda Ndamane, clinching a Standard Bank Sikuvile Award was not only a special moment for him but for many children from disadvantaged backgrounds, especially those he mentors, and a message to them to never give up.

He walked away with the top honour in the “news photographs” category for his “Pro-Palestine crowd clash with police” submission published on the front page of the Cape Times.

Ndamane’s images showed police clashing with pro-Palestinian supporters in November 2023 during a protest against Israeli supporters at the Sea Point Promenade.

The South African National Editors’ Forum (Sanef) and Standard Bank held the prestigious awards ceremony in Johannesburg on Saturday night to honour the best of South African journalism.

The awards were hailed as a testament to the dedication, passion and courage of journalists who relentlessly strive to tell stories.

The adjudicator praised Ndamane’s “commitment to presenting a fair and accurate representation of what transpired and highlighting the vital role of press photography and documentation”.

“I was in disbelief when my name was called, to a point that my legs felt weak while mounting the podium,” Ndamane said yesterday. “My phone died and I had to let it charge overnight.

When I switched on the phone, many messages came through even on social media. It was so overwhelming and emotional.

“I thought of my late mother and grandfather who both passed away last year, what they would have said. However this is not just for me, it is for the many children from disadvantaged backgrounds to never give up. I will take this back home to the Eastern Cape to the soccer kids I mentor and show them as encouragement,” he said.

Ndamane reflected on the story he told through his lens that day.

“For me photography is a calling because I am telling people’s stories, real-life events, so I plan and do my research. I want my work to change people’s lives or have an impact.

“It was a very tense atmosphere that day because people were fighting physically. Anything could have happened, even to us. It made me reflect on the difficulties that our colleagues are really faced with working in war or conflict areas.

“It made me imagine what the people of Palestine were really going through, the fears they deal with every day. It was important for me to show the frustrations and tensions.

“It is my dream that one day I’ll visit war-zone countries and tell their stories,” he said.

Ndamane also expressed gratitude to the Cape Times.

Cape Times editor Siyavuya Mzantsi said: “Our warm congratulations to Ayanda for winning this award. It is a thoroughly deserved honour for him and comes as no surprise. Ayanda is one of our talented photographers and excels in any task given to him.

“This award once again demonstrates that our photographers have a sharp eye for detail, especially when it comes to social issues.

“While we, here at home, can capture events related to the Gaza situation freely, many of our Palestinian colleagues are being murdered for simply informing the world about the atrocities that are taking place in that country.

“This underscores the role of a robust media, which we must all protect.

“That is why we, as the Cape Times, are truly proud of Ayanda’s achievement.”

Cape Times