The President of the Republic of South Africa (President Thabo Mbeki) has, in terms of Section 4 (1) (b) of the MDDA Act and as per the recommendation from the National Assembly appointed the following 5 new Board members with effect from 01 January 2008 for a term of office of three years and five years for the Chairperson:
1. Ms Gugu Msibi (Chairperson)
2. Ms Nomonde Gongxeka
3. Mr Siviwe Minyi
4. Prof. Guy Berger
Ms Gugu Msibi has been appointed as the new Chairperson of the MDDA; she replaces Ms Kanyi Mkonza whose term of office expired on the 31st December 2007 with three other Board members. Also, the President acting in terms of Section 4 (1) (c) of the MDDA Act, appointed 5. Ms Baby Tyawa as the fifth member to complement the MDDA Board.
The MDDA takes this opportunity to thank the outgoing Board members, Ms Kanyi Mkonza, Dr. Boloka Mashilo, Ms Kerry Cullinan, Mr. Tony Trew and Mr. Govin Reddy for their contribution towards the facilitation of development and diversity in the South African media sector and to the promotion of the right to freedom of expression enshrined in our Constitution. Their service has been much appreciated.
Brief information about the new MDDA Board members is as follows: -
1. (As Chairperson) Ms Gugu Msibi holds a BA (Journalism and Economics) from Durban University of Technology, Management Advanced Programme (MAP) Wits Business School, MBA (Bond University, Australia). In her capacity as former Executive Director of Spin Media, she was responsible for media training, development of communication and public affairs strategies for different Government Departments and companies. She is a former Marketing and Communications Executive at the State Information Technology Agency (SITA) and was responsible for creating and managing the brand of the agency. She worked as a political journalist at SABC, including work as a senior producer on AM/PM Live (SAFM). She worked as a Head of Broadcast Training and the Institute for the Advancement of Journalism (IAJ). She was a strategy and media advisor to the Chairman of Mvela Group, Mr. Tokyo Sexwale, the SABC, Land Bank, Gauteng Shared Services (GSSC), Parliament, Transnet and the Department of Home Affairs. Ms Msibi has a rich history of involvement in community media and media skills training, and has conducted over 150 media skills training sessions in South and Southern Africa. Ms Msibi is also a non-executive director of Powertel, a telecommunications company.
2. Ms Nomonde Gongxeka holds a Diploma in Journalism, various certificates in building Brands and holds a Management Advancement Programme (MAP) qualification from the Wits Business School. She is currently enrolled for the Broadcasting Policy & Regulatory Framework Programme with the Wits Graduate School of Public & Development Management (P&DM). Ms Gongxeka's career in the field of media spurns well over 14 years. She has worked extensively in the field of edutainment, communication for social change, both on air as well as in a managerial capacity behind the scenes. Ms Gongxeka starred in award winning dramas such as Yizo Yizo and Soul City. She has worked as a trainer for child radio and television producers. She designed and developed a Curriculum Course Outline on Research and Programme Development for third year students, which she also lectured and National Electronic Media of South Africa (NEMISA). In June 2006, Ms Gongxeka was seconded to join SABC's newly founded Business Development Unit as a Funding & Partnerships Executive. In her current portfolio, Ms Gongxeka is expected to raise Funding for production of SABC's content for both Television & Radio and also SABC Special Projects, to build and forge strategic partnerships with various stakeholders.
3. Mr Siviwe Minyi holds a BA (HDE) Degree from the University of Cape Town and is currently studying towards a Masters Degree Media Studies. Mr Minyi spent a number of years working with NGOs in the field of democracy education, justice, reconciliation and HIV & AIDS, including a year working with a South African based donor organisation called Interfund. He is a founder member of Bush Radio and is a pioneer in the emergence of new community media initiatives both as a trainer and producer. Mr Minyi also worked as a trainer for the Gender Education & Training Network (GETNET) where he worked with men in the Men and Masculinities Programme. His extensive experience includes freelance journalism, developing and implementing marketing strategies for a number of organisations and government departments. As a trainer, Mr Minyi has a passion for people capacity development.
4. Prof. Guy Berger teaches and researches in media development issues, new media, media policy, convergence and journalism education. He writes a column online for the Mail & Guardian. Prof. Berger is also active in the South African National Editors Forum, and won the organisation's Nat Nakasa Award for media integrity in 2006.
5. Ms Baby Tyawa is a founder member of the Congress of South African Students (COSAS - 1981). She holds a BA degree in Psychology with Unisa and did her post-graduate studies with the University of Western Cape. Through her studies she was active in the then Federation of Transvaal Women. Ms Tyawa has a Masters Degree (M Ed.) in Educational Psychology from Manchester University in the United Kingdom. After obtaining her degree, she taught part-time in Braamfontein, Johannesburg. In 1994, she worked at Matla Trust (Gender Desk on Voter Education). She was a full-time psychologist at Forest Town for Learners with Cerebral Palsy and Specific Learning Disability. Ms Tyawa was an intern psychologist at the Counselling and Careers Unit: Psychotherapy, for students and staff at Wits University in 1996. From 1997 to 2001, she worked at Wits University's Specialised Education School of Human and Community Development as a lecturer and course co-ordinator. She is a registered Psychologist with the Health Professions Council of South Africa. She joined GCIS in Pretoria in 2002, as Chief Director: Policy and Research. In August 2007, Ms Tyawa was appointed Deputy Chief Executive Officer: Strategy and Content Management at the GCIS.
The MDDA welcomes the new Board members, commit to working with and supporting them, look forward to their leadership and guidance in the governance of the Agency, and wish them all the best in the quest to pursue the mandate enshrined in the MDDA Act. The new members will be taking an oath or affirmation committing them to fairness, freedom of expression, openness and accountability, and upholding and protecting the Constitution and other laws of the Republic.
As we start the year, we take the opportunity to thank the Government (whose valuable support for the Agency through GCIS and the Presidency has made its work manageable) and the funding partners of the MDDA [SABC, Primedia Broadcasting, MNET, Kagiso Broadcasting, MIDI TV, Media 24, CTP, Independent Newspapers and Johnnic Publishing]. We look forward to strengthening our relationship and working together towards ensuring that each and every South African citizen has access to a choice of a diverse range of media.
We hope that the newly licensed broadcasting services [Telkom Media, Multichoice Africa, On Digital Media, E-Sat, Walking on Water TV, Capricorn FM, M-Power Radio and Radio North West] and other media groups will join our hands in assisting the building of an environment where a diverse, vibrant and creative media flourishes and reflects the needs of all South Africans.
Further, the MDDA congratulates Ms Kanyi Mkonza who has since been appointed by the President of the Republic of South Africa to serve as the Chairperson of the SABC from the 01st January 2008. We extend ours congratulations to the new SABC Board members. The SABC has been one of the funding partners of the MDDA, we hope that the new leadership will continue to support the mandate enshrined in the MDDA Act. We wish Ms Mkonza and the new Board members all the best in their pursuit of the public broadcasting service mandate as enshrined in the Broadcasting Act and the License Conditions issued by ICASA.
