Lumko Caesario Mtimde is a graduate of the University of the Western Cape and the University of South Africa where he completed a BSc. degree in Physiology and Biochemistry and a Postgraduate Diploma in Telecommunications and Information Policy respectively. He also completed the Executive Development Programme through NetTel@Africa (LTA, Lesotho).

His experience include working as a Communication Development Consultant after leaving the Independent Broadcasting Authority (IBA), accordingly did some work for, among others, Open Society Institute of Southern Africa (OSISA), AMARC Africa, SACOD, Article 19 and the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism of South Africa.

From 2001 - 2002, he served as a General Manager / Chief Director (Broadcasting Policy) of the Department of Communications, Ministry of Communications.

Before that, he served the IBA, as a Councillor from 1998 to 2000, following his appointment by the then South African President Nelson Mandela, in terms of the IBA Act. This followed after four and a half years serving as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the National Community Radio Forum (NCRF). He served as Vice President (Southern and Eastern Africa) of the World Association of Community Radio Broadcasting (AMARC), President of AMARC Africa and as a Vice President (Africa) of the International Board of Directors of AMARC based in Montreal, Canada until 1998. He was also an Executive Member of the South African Chapter of the Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA). He was also once a member of the Freedom of Expression Institute (FXI).

In 1995, he received the World Solidarity Award at Gorhe Island, Senegal, on behalf of the NCRF from AMARC. He is also a founder member of National Community Media Forum (NCMF), the National Community Radio Forum (NCRF), Bush Radio (the first Community Radio in South Africa) and AMARC Africa (the organization of Community Radio in Africa). He also served on the Broadcasting Policy Stakeholders Advisory Committee following his appointment to the Committee by the then Minister of Communications, Jay Naidoo.

Generally, he has traveled extensively around the world on broadcasting and telecommunications-related missions, and has wide experience in broadcasting policy issues, telecommunications policy issues and is one of the long serving Council members of the communications regulator. Besides his communications policy and regulatory experience, organizational experience and general management experience, in the past he served in the student leadership, as a student activist. He is passionate about community development, universal service and access of communication services.

In 2002, he was appointed by President Thabo Mbeki to serve ICASA as a Councillor for a 4 years term of office until 2006, in terms of the ICASA Act of 2000. He was also a member of the Board of the Institute for the Advancement of Journalism (IAJ) until November 2006. During his term at ICASA, he also served as the Vice-Chairman of Telecommunications Regulatory Association of Southern Africa (TRASA) based in Botswana, now called CRASA. He also served in the NetTel@Africa Executive Council, as Deputy Chairperson and Acting Chairperson. He also represented ICASA, as a member of the ICT BEE Steering Committee, which developed the ICT BEE Charter.

 

Recently, he was awarded:

 

      A Community Radio Excellence Award, in recognition of his continuous support for the sector in the African continent, by AMARC Africa in Kenya, Nairobi, April 2005.

      An Acknowledgement Award as a former CEO of the NCRF, in acknowledgement of invaluable contribution to the development of Community Radio in S.A. by NCRF, November 2007.

      A Community Radio Honorary Award for the advancement of Community Radio in S.A., by the NCRF, November 2007.

 At present, Mtimde is a member of the Board of Advisors of Unitech and Advisory Board of the UNISA Communication Sciences. He also servers as an advisor to Worldspace S.A on the African regulatory framework.

He also serves on the Grand Jury of the Woprld Summit Awards ( WSA ) 2007 as a national expect and a spokeperson for Africa ,initiated by Austria in 2003 as a contribution to the United Nations’ World Summit on the Information Society.

He is also one of the High Level Panel of Advisors of the Global Alliance for ICT and Development, launched by the then Secretary General of the United Nations, Mr. Kofi Annan in March 2006, as nominated by the WSA Board.

He is also a member of the New York based NABU Advisory Council of Experts, which is an international organisation that promotes the United Nationas Millennium Development Goals.

On the full time basis, he is the Chief Executive Officer of the Media Development and Diversity Agency (MDDA), a development agency set up to develop media diversity, as partnership between the South African Government and major print and broadcasting companies, and to assist in developing community and small commercial media in South Africa, in terms of the MDDA Act No. 14 of 2002.