Durban - In 2022, our photojournalists in Durban, Cape Town, Johannesburg and Pretoria, produced some of the most riveting pictures South Africans have seen this year.
Our expert photographers – Phando Jikelo, Henk Kruger, Oupa Mokoena, Armand Hough, Ian Landsberg, David Ritchie, Tracey Adams, Doctor Ngcobo, Shelley Kjonstad, Theo Jephta and other African News Agency photojournalists, produced fantastic work.
From the April floods that ravaged Durban and other parts of KZN, to the funeral of Archbishop Desmond Tutu, to the moral disaster of Enyobeni tavern in East London, where 21 teenagers died during a pens-down celebration stampede, our photojournalists took us there and recorded history.
ANA photojournalist Henk Kruger said the photojournalists had been busy from day one of 2022.
“From the very first day of 2022, our team of photojournalists started covering breaking news events.
“Their passion and levels of commitment are evident in this small collection of images capturing 2022.
“We witnessed and documented historical events in 2022. The funeral of our beloved Desmond Tutu, the Parliament burning, the devastating floods in Durban, the Enyobeni tavern deaths, and the Zulu coronation were only a few of the historical events documented this year,” said Kruger.
Some of the highlights included, in August, our Pretoria-based lensman Oupa Mokoena took us to the streets of Thembisa and captured the image of a young child running across the street during a service delivery protest.
Cars were also torched during this and other the protests.
In September, Cape Town-based Phando Jikelo shot Alena Saili of New Zealand during the Women’s Sevens tournament as she was tackled by Faith Nathan of Australia in the World Cup Rugby Sevens 2022 final at Cape Town Stadium.
Australia were eventually crowned the winners with a close 24-22 victory.
In April, Mokoena was at it again, capturing pictures of the candlelight vigil of the murdered Hillary Gardee, daughter of former EFF secretary general Godrich Gardee.
In May and June, lensman Armand Hough captured the fierce storms in Cape Town which saw roads flooded and a week-long cold front which caused icy conditions for the Western Cape.
He also captured the sea turtle rehabilitation team of the Two Oceans Aquarium Education Foundation, when it released 44 rehabilitated sea turtles about 30 nautical miles south of Hout Bay.
The turtles were all rehabilitated at the aquarium after being found stranded on Western Cape beaches. The group released included Geri, the three-flippered green sea turtle that has been recovering in the I&J Ocean Exhibit.
Henk said the ANA team of photojournalists across South Africa were passionate about telling the South African story to the world.
“Photojournalist Phandulwazi Jikelo won his 13th award this year.
“He was again honored with the Vodacom Journalist Of the Year (VJOY) regional award in the photography category for his body of work of Ashes to Ashes: We Salute You, Langa Fire, and Parly Fire flares as Questions Mount,” said Kruger.