Daily Dispatch senior reporter Lulamile Feni has been crowned the province’s best arts and culture journalist of the year.
The ceremony which was hosted by the Eastern Cape department of arts and culture, honoured several people including Feni for making a remarkable contribution in promoting arts and culture.
The awards, in their third year, were delayed by more than eight hours due to what the department’s spokesman Andile Nduna described as “logistical problems”.
Nduna said: “We acknowledge that there were glitches here and there but we must say the event has grown from what it initially was and we need to learn to be able to manage that growth. The decision to have the event organised by officials was a cost management decision because the funds of the public purse are limited.”
Feni won the award for best arts and culture journalist. Other winners were:
lPatrick Pasha – individual lifetime contribution to arts and culture,
lAndascore – best music group,
lCreswell October – best music individual,
lMongezi Ncwadi – best drama performance,
lTina Piek – best dance for choreography,
lLervern Botha – best dance for performance,
lLeon du Preez – best visual arts for fine art,
lNompumezo Gubevu – best visual arts for curation,
lCrystal Reid – best craft design,
lSikho Mququ – best three-dimensional craft,
lNgcwelekazi Gwegwe – oral or written IsiXhosa literature,
lTello Mohlomi – oral or written SeSotho literature,
lColleen Mapatwana – oral or written English literature,
lAsanda Katshwa – best sign language development and promotion,
lOyama Vanto – best arts management,
lMark Wilby – best film and documentary contributor,
lPinky Tuswa – best film,
lKobus Reichert – best museum and heritage and
lPrince Jongisizwe ka Mensiwa – best libraries and archives.
Arts and culture MEC Pemmy Majodina said the province had an abundance of talent in arts.
“This province is rich in arts and culture. This is part of our steps towards preserving that and to remind people in the province that they are doing well and they must not look down on themselves,” said Majodina.
Feni said he felt honoured.
“I am very happy about receiving the award; it means a lot to me. It is heartwarming to be recognised in your home province for the work you do. It means you are doing something right.”