President Kgalema Motlanthe appoints new members to the MDDA Board

The President of the Republic of South Africa (President Kgalema Motlanthe) has, in terms of Section 4 (1) (b) of the MDDA Act and as per the recommendation from the National Assembly appointed the following two new Board members with effect from 01 January 2009 for a term of office of three years:

1. Ms Phumelele Ntombela-Nzimande
2. Dr Tanja Bosch

The MDDA takes this opportunity to thank the outgoing Board members, Mr Mazibuko Jara and Mr Chris Moerdyk 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. We look forward to continue our relationship with them.

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 in January 2009 committing them to fairness, freedom of expression, openness and accountability, and upholding and protecting the Constitution and other laws of the Republic.

Brief information about the new MDDA Board members is as follows:

1. Ms Phumelele Ntombela-Nzimande holds a BA (Hons); BA Social Science (Natal). She is the Chief People's Officer of the SABC and joined the SABC from the Department of Communications where she served as Deputy Director-General: Strategic Policy Co-ordination, Inter-governmental Relations and International Relations. Prior to that, she was Deputy Chairperson of the Commission on Gender Equality. As CPO of the SABC, she oversees the Corporate Affairs and Human Capital Services divisions of the organisation, including functions such as International Affairs, Corporate

   Communications and Public Affairs. She serves on a number of Boards and Advisory Councils including the Human Sciences Research Council and the Council of the University of KwaZulu-Natal.

2. Dr Tanja Bosch completed her undergraduate studies in English and History (BA, Hons) at the University of Cape Town, before working in the local film and community radio sector. She completed her MA in International Affairs while a Fulbright Scholar at Ohio University, where she also graduated with a PhD in Mass Communication. Tanja Bosch is former station manager of Bush Radio, and has also worked as a trainer for UNESCO community radio stations in Jamaica and Trinidad; and for Open Society Foundation stations in South Africa. Tanja completed a postdoctoral fellowship in the Department of Journalism at Stellenbosch University during 2005-2006, where she also taught radio broadcasting. Her research and teaching interests include: community radio, media and communication for development; health communication, critical theory and cultural studies; qualitative research methods; radio studies and new media.
   

As we end the year 2008, 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 renew our funding agreements with all partners in 2009, strengthen our relationship and work together towards ensuring that each and every South African citizen has access to a choice of a diverse range of media.

We hope that all Broadcasting Service Licensees will become our partners from April 2009 and contribute 0.2% of the annual turnover derived from the licensee's license activities to the MDDA, in line and in compliance with the ICASA Regulation: Prescribed annual contributions of licensees to the Universal Service and Access Fund (USAF) (Notice No. 31499) published on the 10th October 2008. The regulation as per the Electronic Communications Act No. 36 of 2005 recognize the relationship between broadcasters and the MDDA thereby provide that such contributions made to the MDDA will be set off against the prescribed annual contribution to the USAF.

Further, the MDDA would encourage other media groups to 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.