Award for revealing medical scandal in South Africa

South African journalist Lynne Altenroxel (29) from the Johannesburg newspaper The Star received the first John Manyarara award for excellent investigative journalism on World Press Freedom Day (3 May).
The award ceremony took place in Windhoek (Namibia). The John Manyarara award consists of 2000 euros in cash and a study grant of 10 000 euros, and is sponsored by the Netherlands Institute for Southern Africa (NiZA). Working in collaboration with the Media Institute for Southern Africa (MISA), NiZA set up the award to promote high-quality investigative journalism in southern Africa.

In The Star, Lynne Altenroxel revealed that nearly two hundred doctors accepted bribes from two of South Africa's largest test laboratories (Lancet and Ampath). The doctors received money for every referral, thus earning between 500 and 40,000 rands extra per month. The laboratories paid millions of rands each year in bribes. This widespread practice is now being dealt with by the Forum of Statutory Health Councils.

The award was named after John Manyarara, a radio journalist in Zimbabwe who later became a judge. As one of the initiators of the Windhoek declaration on freedom of the press in 1991 and co-founder of MISA in 1992, he was one of the most important advocates in southern Africa for freedom of press. Bob Van Der Winden of the NiZA explains that the John Manyarara award encourages southern African journalists to continue with their work, despite the low salaries and the threats to the freedom of the press. NiZA considers an independent, reliable press to be one of the ways to support the development of southern Africa.

 Interview with Lynne Altenroxel - Under the Skin with Billy Kahora (Windhoek).

For more information, please contact
NiZA
(020) 5206210
niza@niza.nl