Rwandan journalist Shyaka Kanuma wins Free Press-Africa Award

By Jerelyn Eddings
freedomforum.org staff

04.02.01

Printer-friendly page

Shyaka Kanuma

JOHANNESBURG — Shyaka Kanuma, a Rwandan editor who criticized government treatment of Rwandan soldiers sent to fight in the Congo, has been named the winner of this year's Free Press-Africa Award.

Kanuma, editor of Rwanda Newsline, received the award March 29 in Johannesburg, at the annual CNN African Journalist of the Year awards ceremony. The Free Press-Africa Award, which is sponsored by The Freedom Forum, recognizes excellent work produced under difficult or dangerous conditions.

The separate African Journalist of the Year award was shared this year by South African television producers: Sam Rogers of E.tv, South Africa's only private television station, and Jacques Pauw of the current affairs program Special Assignment, which is broadcast on the South African Broadcasting Corp.

Kanuma won the Free Press-Africa Award for a commentary titled "How we are headed for doom: The arrogance that contributes to it all." It was published in his weekly newspaper last Nov. 13.

The commentary, which was part of a series of essays, criticized the Kigali government's treatment of its soldiers and argued that Rwanda would have money to care for them properly if not for rampant corruption among government and military officials.

"In Kigali," Kanuma's commentary said, "we see palatial mansions and buildings that belong to this country's top politicians and military brass, or those who are dealing with them one way or other, going up by the day. We see companies that have come out of nowhere to dominate all spheres of business in the country."

Kanuma said his newspaper came under tremendous pressure from Rwanda's military following publication of the commentary. He added that the newspaper carried an apology, which it made under duress, for supposedly creating an impression of disloyalty to the country.

"In so many countries on the continent," he said, "my colleagues and I work against tremendous pressures and intimidation.

"A week after publication of this article … my paper and I were forced to print a retraction of the story, despite the fact that we stand by what we wrote as the truth of the situation," Kanuma added. "That is the reality of journalism in our part of Africa. Sometimes we have to do things to protect the lives of the organizations we work for and the people we work with."

Kanuma said he accepted the award "in the hope it will help us to have the courage to stand up for our convictions and against future pressures." He received $3,500 and a laptop computer.

The Free Press-Africa Award last year was shared by Sierra Leonean filmmaker Sorious Samura and Zimbabwean reporter Brian Hungwe.

"These winners represent the best journalism in Africa," said Chris Cramer, president of CNN International. "We are delighted to see this competition continue to nurture such a diverse range of talent from an ever-increasing number of African nations."