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I just read that Joao Silva photojournalist has been injured by treading on a mine in Afghanistan ........... I am saddened to hear it....... very saddened almost sick to hear it...........

I knew him from working in South Africa where he still lives now ....... I was with his great friend Ken Oosterbroek when he was killed in Thokoza township in the days before Mandella came to power ......... an event that pressed on my life for years and still does to some extent even now..........

So although I never knew those guys that well before....... I felt I had a connection with them........ Joao wrote 'The Bang Bang Club' with Greg Marinovich..... A book about their lives as a group of photojournalists....... (Greg was severely wounded in the incident that killed Ken)....... Joao and Greg together with Ken and Kevin Carter who committed suicide not long afters Ken's death made up 'The Bang Bang Club' now also a film ........ as friends and competitors working together covering the violence of Apartheid and the frontline States of Africa and further North starvation and famine........ they saw so much......... Kevin Carter's suicide in particular had him labelled as 'The man who saw too much'.........

Even back then in 1994 they had all lived pretty extreme lives......... 16/17 years later Joao is still determinedly producing incredible images that bring the stories to New York Times readers....... I have often seen his by-line under amazing images on the cover of the NY Times and marveled at his stamina and commitment ....... Commitment to bring stories of conflict from Iraq, Afghanistan, Georgia, and still of course conflict from Africa.

I hear Joao is now receiving treatment for his wounds in Germany............ I don't know about his condition........ I really hope he is all right...... I hope he can recover and get back soon to his family in SA.......... I hope they can save his legs..........

Thinking back to the time I spent with all those guys.......... Here above is an image I made in the weeks after Ken had been killed .......... And I think made around the day Kevin Carter committed suicide but I did not know it at the time.

Cheers Jez XXXXXXXXXXXX

PS........ To make a donation to help Joao Silva and his family get through this time................. http://pdnpulse.com/2010/10/fund-established-for-injured-photog-joao-silva-and-family.html ............ thanks for this link Lynda XX

www.jezblog.com

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