The Media Development and Diversity Agency is a statutory development agency for promoting and ensuring media development and diversity, set up as a partnership between the South African Government and major print and broadcasting companies to assist in (amongst others) developing community and small commercial media in South Africa, in terms of the MDDA Act no 14 of 2002.

In the financial year 2007/8, the Board of the MDDA approved a staff complement of 21 having due regard to the new ECA environment. The Board decided that the increase in staff capacity be progressive in order to be sustainable and achieve strategic objectives of the Agency.

The following people joined the MDDA between July and September 2008:

>> Ms Nonceba Mtwana - Project Officer - Community Media

Ms Mtwana studied for a Bachelor of Communications with the University of Fort Hare and a post graduate diploma in Radio Production with the National Electronic Institute of South Africa (Nemisa). After her studies, she worked as a Researcher and Project Coordinator for the Media Monitoring Project for a period of five years focusing on content analysis of South African media and conducting media analysis training different parts of the continent.

She joined the Treatment Action Campaign for a year as the Development Officer with core functions of donor management and reporting before joining the MDDA as the Project Officer for Community Media.

Ms Mtwana's career has been based in the developmental sector and she is a champion of human rights with much interest in access to information, gender equality and children's rights.

>> Ms Thembelihle Sibeko - Programme Manager - Monitoring and Evaluation

Ms Sibeko completed B. Iuris at The University Durban Westville 1998 Worked for CASE as the field worker. Worked for the NEWU as the Legal Officer then joined the NDA as the Project Officer in 2001-2003, a Programme Manager in 2003-2005 and a Development Manager from 2005-2008. Throughout her working experience has enhanced skills in Project Management including Monitoring and Evaluation. Currently studying towards the Masters in the Field of Public and Development Management (MM P&DM) at Wits University (Business School).

Other Trainings acquired: Project Management, PFMA, and GAS, Report writing, Monitoring and Evaluation and Microsoft Projects.

>> Mr Thabani Khazi - Project Officer - Monitoring and Evaluation

Mr Khazi completed his National Diploma in Communication Science in 2001 and then went on to do his Diploma in Hospitality Management. He also completed his N5 certificate in Financial Management at Majuba College in 2005 and did a basic journalism course through Caxton in 2006.

He then worked in various departments within the hotel industry until 2005, when he joined Caxton as a journalist, where he was trained as one of the first “Caxton Cadets”, while playing an active role in the newsroom and even starting his own insert in the newspaper, named “Innertainment”. After leaving Caxton in 2007, he was appointed as Monitoring, Evaluation and Research Officer at NOAH - KZN, where he was one of the key players in developing some of the tools used in their M&E department and directly involved in the monitoring of 77 centers in KZN.

>> Mr Philani Jimmy Ngwenya - Small Commercial Media

Mr Ngwenya completed his Gold Diploma in Public Relations and Marketing in 2000 at Birnam Business College and went on to do a National Diploma in Brand Communication at Vega Brand Communications, which he completed in 2004. He joined Grey South Advertising (the then Grey Worldwide) in 2004 as an Account Executive. While at Grey South Advertising, Mr Ngwenya worked on the following accounts (amongst others), Heineken, Amstel, GSK, Visa and WBS. He left Grey South Advertising in September 2008 to join MDDA as Project Officer: Small Commercial Media.

In the first and the second week of October 2008, these people will join the MDDA:

>> Mr Lindinkosi Ndibongo - Programme Manager - Small Commercial Media

Mr Ndibongo has a National Diploma in Public Relations Management from Technikon South Africa, which he completed in 1997 as well as a certificate in Community Capacity Building Africa from Unisa. He's been active in the ANC Youth League since 1994, as a Sub-Regional Coordinator - Campaigns and Regional Organiser and Fundraising Coordinator. He worked for the Eastern Cape Appropriate Technology Unit as Community Development Officer till 2000, when he left to join the National Development Agency y as Programme Officer - Accelerated Grants Disbursement Programme for a year. He then moved to Hope Project Management and Facilitation Services as Social facilitator till 2003.

Mr Ndibongo joins MDDA from Umsobomvu Youth Fund, where he held the post of Senior Projects Officer since 2006 to September 2008.

>> Ms Nereshnee Govender - Programme Manager - Research and Training

Ms Govender obtained a B-Tech Degree: Journalism Cum Laude at the Durban University in 2003. She worked as a trainee reporter at the SABC from 2001 to 2003, and also freelanced for the Sunday Times in the same period. From 2002 to 2004 she worked as a news producer and news anchor for Highway Radio, a Community Radio station. She left Highway Radio in 2005 to join Satyagraha - In Pursuit of Truth, as a Programme Manager, Coordinator and Sub Editor, where she recently left to join MDDA. Ms Govender has also won numerous academic awards such as Winner Academic Excellence in her 3rd year Public Relations Management in 2007 and 2008.

>> Ms Gail January - Project Officer - Research and Training

Ms January studied for a Bachelor of Arts degree at the University of the Western Cape in 1992 and joined Geluksdal Secondary School as a Geography teacher in 1993. She worked her way up to Department Head of Arts and Culture in 2004. During that time she also studied for her BA Honours through Unisa, and attended a writer's workshop for teachers at the Poynter Institute in Florida USA. Ms January joined the Institute for Advancement of Journalism (IAJ) as a Community Print Projects Coordinator and Trainer for School Newspaper Project in 2005. She left IAJ in September 2008 to join MDDA as Project Officer: Training and Research.

>> Mr Monde Jozi - Legal and Contracts Manager

Mr Jozi completed his LLB degree in 1997 then started practicing as an attorney in April 1999 after finishing his articles, worked as a professional assistant in two law firms. After that he opened his own practice in October 2001 with a partner till April 2006. In April 2006, he left the partnership and joined another firm of attorneys as an associate till June 2008.

He was appointed as Deputy Director: Legal Services at the Department of Sports, Arts, Culture and Recreation Gauteng with effect from 01 July 2008 on a six months contract. At the end of the contract, he joined the MDDA as a Legal and Contracts Manager with effect from 01 October 2008.

>> Mr Phuthi Collins Mokgohlwa - Internal Audit and Risk Manager

Mr Mokgohlwa graduated BTech in Internal Auditing with the Vaal Triangle Technikon, majoring in Internal Auditing and Financial Accounting and Certificate in Fraud Examination with the University of Pretoria. He pursues a core set of objectives in his evolving career, including focus on Internal Auditing and Fraud Examination. He is currently undergoing training in fraud examination and towards Masters in Business Administration. His thesis will be focusing on corporate governance and Risk management.

Mr Mokgohlwa completed his articles with KPMG where he acquired vast experience within the Internal Audit environment. He spent 6 months of his articles period at KPMG within their Forensic Audit department where he obtained an overview and experience on conducting Fraud investigations, identifying red flags and conducting due diligence. For the period, Jan 2006 till Feb 2008 he worked for Sun International Group Internal Audit focusing mainly on Compliance to the Gaming legislature. From March 2007 till September 2008 he worked as a Senior Internal Auditor at Ford Motor Company of Southern Africa where he gained vast experience in leading different types of audits ranging from Financial Disciplinary Reviews, ISO reviews, Operational Audit reviews, Information Technology Process Reviews as well as conducting investigations.

“We are delighted to have a growing team and are sure that the increased capacity and skills will ensure that we deliver an even better service to our project partners and stakeholders, and that we have an increasingly greater impact on transforming the media landscape in South Africa,” said Mr Lumko Mtimde, Chief Executive Officer, MDDA.

[6 Oct 2008 12:56]