Juda Ngwenya

Award Winning Photographer

Ngwenya’s Profile & Work

Juda Ngwenya profession as a lensman started with The Star newspaper, before becoming a senior photographer.

Before he was even two years in the employ of the newspaper, he was poached by the renowned news wire services, Reuters.

In a career spanning over two and half decades, Juda has covered some of South Africa’s hotspots such as Katlehong on the East Rand, South Africa and across our borders in places such as Liberia.

And below is the man himself

Juda Ngwenya

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His career at the international news agency

At Reuters Juda had to learn to manage his own time, but most of all be precise and leave no room for mistakes.

He also travelled extensively doing different assignments.

His pictures have appeared in front pages of mostly London newspapers such as London Times, The Observer as well as magazines such Time Magazine, Newsweek.

It was while at Reuters that Juda was at the forefront of some of the conflicts in the continent.

Below is one such picture he captured in Liberia , and on the ground is not concrete but bullet shells.

A child soldier in Liberia

Technique

The next slide is a picture demonstrating Juda’s technique of also of showing the face of ordinary people amidst the war, suffering and desperation.

In times of war, often women voices are drowned. But Juda’s picture which also draws our attention to the billboard whose message unambiguously captures the feelings of the womenfolk as well.

Therefore, the photographer deliberately framed this message to the international community, that they (women) wanted an end to the carnage that had ravaged their country.

However, in the same breath the picture shows the guys in a kombi in a somewhat jovial mood, perhaps because peace has finally come.

His Mission

As a photographer for wire services, Juda is often sent out to cover various assignments, from war zone, soccer match as well as weddings.

The picture below not only recorded the calamity that visited the people of Mocambique.

However, it also shows the dedication of South African soldiers on a mission in a neighbouring country.

Liberians celebrating a ceasefire

A woman rescued during the Mocambique floods

His Views

Unashamadely, Juda presents the two sides of a conflict.

In the picture below, the pictures shows the desperation of the Liberian civilians who have just poured out of the streets, cross the bridge and look for food on the other side which has been taken over by the marauding rebels.

Soldiers calming livid Liberians threatening to confront rebels

Personal Vision

Whenever on assignment, once you are done with the scheduled picture, always find something that will add colour in a newspaper.

So advises Juda, the following picture was taken while the lensman was on assignment during the soccer piece in Burkina Fasso

Burkina Fasso Market Trader