New MDDA Board appointed

The Media Development and Diversity Agency is a statutory development agency for promoting, supporting and ensuring media development and diversity, set up as a partnership between the South African Government and major print and broadcasting media companies, in terms of the MDDA Act No. 14 of 2002. The President of South Africa is responsible for appointing the board.

The following five new Board members have been appointed with effect from 01 January 2008 for a term of office of three years and five years for the chairperson:

1. Gugu Msibi (chairperson)
2. Nomonde Gongxeka
3. Siviwe Minyi
4. Prof Guy Berger

Gugu Msibi has been appointed as the new chairperson of the MDDA; replacing Kanyi Mkonza whose term of office expired on the 31 December 2007 with three other Board members. In addition, Baby Tyawa was appointed as a fifth member to complement the MDDA Board.

The MDDA thanked outgoing Board members for their contribution: Kanyi Mkonza, Dr Boloka Mashilo, Kerry Cullinan, Tony Trew and Govin Reddy .

New MDDA chair, Msibi, a former journalist and media trainer, developed 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 was a strategy and media advisor to the chairman of Mvela Group, Tokyo Sexwale, the SABC, Land Bank, Gauteng Shared Services (GSSC), Parliament, Transnet and the Department of Home Affairs.