South Africa has congratulated Sasha Maria Schwendenwein, a producer on Carte Blanche, for her Southern African Development Community (SADC) Media Awards entry which won second prize in the TV category.
The award was bestowed during the opening ceremony of the 39th Ordinary Summit of SADC Heads of State and Government in Tanzania.
The SADC Media Awards are aimed at promoting excellence in the fields of print, radio, television and photo journalism. They also serve as a link for coordination and synchronisation between formal structures of SADC member States and media.
“These awards further seek to bring and enhance partnership between media and government institutions in advancing the achievements and good stories of this region in bettering the lives of its citizens,” Government Communication and Information System (GCIS) said in a statement.
Schwendenwein's story, titled “Follow the Guns”, was a co-production which looked at the scourge of rhino poaching.
“The story is about the illegal trade of weapons used for the poaching of rhinos. The production was an investigative piece which provided detail on the syndicates and methods used to purchase the guns across various countries,” GCIS said.
This special report tracks the guns recovered by law enforcement from poaching and traces them all the way back to their manufacturers and dealers to unmask the masterminds behind South Africa’s rhino killing fields. The investigation piece was shot across three continents and highlights transnational gun supply to Africa.
The story was voted among six TV entries and came out second in that category.
Schwendenwein has a Masters Degree from Columbia University’s Joseph Pulitzer School of Journalism in New York.
She is an investigative journalist and television producer who joined Carte Blanche in 2012, and has since won several awards for her human rights, politics and environmental stories. – SAnews.gov.za
