Weyni Deysel commits suicide at age 59

From the News Time comes news that South African cartoonist Weyni Deysel allegedly fataly shot himself Saturday night – a day after his 59th birthday.

The editor of The Citizen, Martin Williams, told the SABC that his death was a sad loss for the paper, he had great input and on a personal level, Williams added that Deysel was gentle and had a friendly nature.

“Weyni’s death is a terribly sad loss for us,” he said. “An award-winning cartoonist who brought distinction to The Citizen, Weyni was also a vibrant presence at our daily meetings. He was well-informed and always offered valuable contributions regarding our coverage.

Deysel won the 2009 Vodacom Gauteng Journalist of the Year Award, he also won numerous other awards including Standard Bank’s Cartoonist of the Year (1983, ’84, ’85), ABSA Dolphin Prize (2001) and the Gauteng region of the Vodacom Journalist of the Year award (Cartoonists) in 2009.

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