The MDDA Chief Executive Officer, Lumko Mtimde in his response to Minister Collins Chabane announcement said, "I have personally worked very well with Mr. Maseko, whose professionalism and efficiency, enabled the relations between the MDDA and GCIS to continue smoothly without glitches. He understood the terms of the MDDA Act and provisions of the SLA. He supported the Agency right through its activities, whenever we appear before the Presidency and Parliament, in terms of both the MDDA Act and the PFMA Act, he would be with us and supporting the cause of media development and diversity and the promotion of the right to freedom of expression and access to information as enshrined in our Constitution."

As a result, the MDDA has never had problems with either the Presidency and Parliament, instead it has always had unqualified audit reports, successful achievements and congratulations from all its principals. The leadership of Mr. Maseko will be missed in the sector and we wish him well in his new responsibility, which we are confident he will diligently perform.

Mr. Mtimde concluded by welcoming Mr Jimmy Manyi, who Minister Chabane introduced as the new Cabinet Spokesperson and CEO of the GCIS. We congratulate him on his new appointment and look forward to working well with him in pursuit of our mandate as enshrined in the MDDA Act, this even more as the country is focusing on the question of the transformation of the media.

Together, we hope to cross many milestones, and also enable the Agency to reach into communities who had no access to media prior to our democracy. The Agency will continue to rely on GCIS support in growing and developing the media including promoting media diversity, and the leadership in the Presidency of Deputy Minister Ms Dina Pule, Minister Collins Chabane, the Deputy President Kgalema Motlante and President Jacob Zuma.

[4 Feb 2011 12:29]