“As a sport's presenter, I'm very pleased that The Voice of Thembisa gave me the opportunity to stay close to the sport that I used to play at school and also keep my community inspired and involved in the game of soccer.” Says Mr. Arnold Rankoko, winner of the Best Presenter Radio, in the Telkom Charity Cup Awards

The MDDA congratulates one of its beneficiaries, the Voice of Thembisa for raising the beacon for Community Radio Stations throughout South Africa, by winning the Telkom Charity Cup's Best Presenter, Electronic Media. Mr. Arnold Rankoko, a sports presenter for the Voice of Thembisa since its inception in 2005, stood his own against Commercial as well as National Radio Stations during last year's Telkom Charity Cup, as he conducted interviews and also kept his community updated on the latest scores in the Telkom Charity Cup.

Mr.Rankoko won one of the special symbolic awards that have been introduced to encourage skillful play and raise the level of competition as well as to honour media's role in building soccer legends and making the Telkom Charity Cup a sporting Legacy the country can be proud of.

The North-West Province's MEC for Sports, Arts and Culture, MEC Ndleleni Duma handed out of the Awards, which were awarded by the Telkom Charity Cup committee, which consists of the PSL sponsors and event managers who deal with the media on a regular basis. The awards were adjudicated upon by a panel of judges that were drawn from the broadcasting and print members of the media. The Voice of Tembisa and in particular Mr. Rankoko is holding the flag high for Community Radio and living the dream enshrined in the MDDA Act. Through the funding and other support that MDDA provides to media projects, one of our mission is to bring about continuous communication amongst all citizens of South Africa at their different levels, which is the cornerstone of a people-centred democracy, transformation, development of a better life for all and the creation of an informed society.

Congratulations Arnold. You join the likes of Ms Qaanitaah Dramat (a Radio 786 journalist) who was named the BBC Young Broadcaster of the Year in May 2007 and the many winners of the Community Media Awards held in May 2008 in Kyalami, Johannesburg.

[31 Jul 2008 12:54]