Government communications loses pillar of establishment

Without Trew, the unique and successful Media Development and Diversity Agency (MDDA) would probably not have got off the ground. As Government's representative on the board of this joint venture between private sector media companies and Government, Trew burnt the midnight oil for almost two years, ensuring that the organisation got off to a smooth start. Now, five years later, his contribution to the MDDA remains extremely valuable.

Without Trew, the recently formed 2010 National Communications Partnership between Government and private sector communicators to create and monitor multi-level communications strategies for the 2010 FIFA World Cup would probably not have been developed to the point it has reached today, let alone been conceived in the first place.

Respect

Trew has commanded the utmost tremendous respect both within GCIS, from the cleaners to senior managers, as well as across Government. Due both to his immense expertise which cut across such a wide range of communications and other disciplines, as well as his integrity and respect for those around him – no matter what their station.

According to his colleagues his contribution to the government communication system and strategy is “incalculable.”

Trew is a man of towering intellect and an enormous sense of devotion to duty. Anyone who has had dealings with him will quickly realise that he does not seem to need much sleep or recreational time. He works late into the night and at weekends. It would not be at all surprising to discover that his last day off was in 1965 on the very last day of the two years he spent as a political prisoner. But, even that day would most likely not have been idly spent

Hopefully, while Trew is obliged to retire officially, his talents will not be lost to the causes that need him the most. Government communications being one and the 2010 NCP and MDDA being the others.

Marketing fundamentals

Trew also brought a sense of marketing to the managers of government communications at both provincial and national level. So much so that many of them actually display a far greater understanding of the basics of marketing than many of their private sector peers.

Antony Andrew Trew was born on 6 July 1941 in Cape Town. After matriculating in 1958, he studied at Stellenbosch University for one year (first year Engineering) and then completed a BA at the University of Witwatersrand in 1962 with Political Theory and Government as a major subject.
From 1964 to 1965 he was a political prisoner after which he went into exile in Britain. There he studied for four years at Oxford University, obtaining a BA in 1967 and a B. Phil in 1969.

From 1970 until 1980 he lectured at the University of East Anglia in England and conducted research in philosophy, political theory and linguistics. He published articles on mathematical logic, the history of science and co-authored a book on discourse analysis, which focused specifically on media presentations of political and social developments.

Duties

From 1980 until 1991, Trew was director of research at the International Defence and Aid Fund for Southern Africa (IDAF). His duties, among others, included managing the Research and Information Department, formulating and directing a programme of research on South Africa and monitoring of developments in consultation with the liberation movement, solidarity organisations and NGOs. During this period he served on various African National Congress (ANC) structures in the UK region, including the Media Committee and acted as Convenor/Secretary of an ANC Research Unit in the UK.

In 1991 he returned to South Africa and worked as senior research officer in the ANC Research Department until July 1993, when he took over the post of research co-ordinator for the ANC Elections Commission. In 1994 he was appointed director of communications research in the Office of the President. The functions of the directorate, among others, the formulation of a communications strategy. He was appointed chief director, policy and research at the GCIS in April 1998 but continued to work in the President's Office on secondment until the national elections in 1999. In March 2002 he was appointed deputy CEO: strategy and content management.