JOHANNESBURG, Nov. 5 (AGCNewsNet) - Blanshe Musinguzi of Africa Report was awarded the African Investigative Journalist of the Year on Tuesday for his deep investigative piece uncovering the smuggling of Congolese hardwoods through East Africa. The award ceremony, held at Wits University in Johannesburg, celebrated Musinguzi's work on the article “How Congo Trees are smuggled through East Africa,” a project funded by the Pulitzer Centre and the Rainforest Investigations Network.

“It’s a story of rigorous research, resilience, and courage, exploring illegal logging in a precarious part of our continent,” said convenor of judges Gwen Lister, noting Musinguzi’s powerful storytelling and commitment to impactful journalism.

The report tracks the covert processing and export of precious timber from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, shedding light on the players behind this environmentally damaging trade.

Musinguzi, who grew up in rural Uganda, dedicated his award to those who have supported his journey, describing how his mother, though unable to read, provided him with an education. “This award goes to all of us and encourages us to keep doing good work,” he said in an emotional acceptance speech.

Second place went to Evans Aziamor-Mensah and his Ghanaian colleagues from The Fourth Estate for “The GH₵ 3 Billion Lie,” an investigation that revealed misuse of public funds within Ghana's oil sector. Open Secrets’ “Russian Doll” series, exploring clandestine Russian operations in South Africa, took third place.

The African Investigative Journalism Awards are an annual event hosted by the Wits Centre for Journalism as part of the African Investigative Journalism Conference, which attracted 450 delegates from over 55 countries this year.