Best of 2020: The stories behind the photographs
From the field
A resident of Kokotela informal settlement is forced to do pushups on 13 April, after breaking the rules of the national lockdown. Photographer Nigel Sibanda recounts: ‘I joined an early morning patrol with the SA Police Service and SA National Defence Force patrolling the streets in Lawley, south of Johannesburg. They were looking for people breaking the rules, which they did find – in their numbers actually. Some were told to go back home, but I guess to ensure a lesson was learnt, others were made to do pushups.’
From the coronavirus pandemic to the violence in Senekal our photographers were on the ground covering the biggest news events of the year. Here we share some of the stories from behind the lens – some frightening, some humorous – detailing what it takes to bring you the images you see on Citizen.co.za.
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- The Paul Kruger Statue in Church Square, Pretoria, can be seen on 18 June after it was vandalised. Photographer Jacques Nelles explains: ‘I travelled to Church Square early in the morning after hearing reports of the Paul Kruger statue again being vandalised. Early morning light is always good for photography. As I arrived the workers had not yet started cleaning the statue. The words ‘killer killer??’ painted in red paint were still visible at Kruger’s feet. I wanted to make as dramatic a photograph as possible because this statue evokes such divided opinion across SA. The pigeons often fly around the statue and when this moment occurred I knew I had what I was looking for.’
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- A resident of Kokotela informal settlement is forced to do pushups on 13 April, after breaking the rules of the national lockdown. Photographer Nigel Sibanda recounts: ‘I joined an early morning patrol with the SA Police Service and SA National Defence Force patrolling the streets in Lawley, south of Johannesburg. They were looking for people breaking the rules, which they did find – in their numbers actually. Some were told to go back home, but I guess to ensure a lesson was learnt, others were made to do pushups.’
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- Two trucks were set alight on the N12 near Daveyton in Ekurhuleni on 25 November. Chief Photographer Neil McCartney recalls: ‘As I approached the burnt trucks I was accosted by Saps officers telling me I was not allowed to take photographs. I introduced myself and as I was nowhere near the actual crime scene I knew I was within my rights as a press photographer. As things escalated they then confiscated my camera, which is illegal, and threatened to arrest me. I called the Saps media liaison and he presumably called them, as a few minutes later they sheepishly returned my camera. Eventually we were allowed nearer the truck, which is when I took this picture.’
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- The body storage facility at a funeral parlour in Soweto on 21 July. Photographer Michel Bega explains: ‘Due to the number of deaths from Covid-19, this funeral home had been forced to increase its storage facilities. This image was taken as part of a feature which saw The Citizen team being taken on a tour of the facility. It’s not the first time I’ve been into such a facility, but this time was different. Description tags on the cold storage doors gave the name and cause of death for each individual. More than half were due to Covid-19. It was quite nerve-racking being literally so close to the virus and the effects.’
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- Farmers are pictured outside Senekal Magistrate’s Court on 6 October 2020. Picture: Tracy Lee Stark
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- A Brown-veined White Butterfly is seen in Johannesburg during its migration towards Madagascar on 29 January. Photographer Neil McCartney explains: ‘When thousands of Brown-veined White Butterflies took over Joburg I went into my garden and tried to get some pictures, but they were very difficult to photograph. My efforts caused much amusement to the complex security guard. Eventually, I moved outside the complex, near a group of gardeners. They were also quite amused at me chasing butterflies. After some time one of them laughingly called me and pointed out a bush which the butterflies seemed to use as a rest spot. Here, I was easily able to take this photograph.’
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- A member of the South African National Defence Force chases a man during a patrol in the Johannesburg CBD on 1 April 2020, during the lockdown. Picture: Michel Bega
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- Firefighters battle a blaze at a historic building in Hillbrow on 15 April. Photographer Nigel Sibanda remembers: ‘As l got to the scene, the Joburg Emergency Management Services personnel were not allowing us close enough to get good photographs. So, I had to find a different vantage point to capture the unfolding drama. I found a nearby block of flats and requested permission to get to their rooftop. My mission was to be above the firefighters, and hidden behind the camera – as heights and I are not friends. Once on the rooftop, the view was just what I anticipated and I was able to overcome my fear momentarily to capture this image.’
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- Pastor Paseka ‘Mboro’ Motsoeneng prays outside the Pretoria High Court in Pretoria on 22 September. Shepherd Bushiri’s legal team had served Mboro with a summons for his remarks about Bushiri’s alleged Forex commodity scam. Photographer Jacques Nelles explains: ‘I found this situation with Prophet Mboro and his followers very interesting. There was a lot of excitement among the crowd and the more fervently Mboro recited his prayers, the more animated he became – and this seems to draw his followers closer to him. I went in very close with a wide angle lens to capture a moment that would allow viewers of the photograph to understand how enraptured the prophet is when delivering his sermons.’
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- Chalk drawings on a pavement in Linden as a pedestrian walks past on 18 May. Picture: Tracy Lee Stark.
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