by Staff Writer
South Africa’s Media Development and Diversity Agency (MDDA) has appointed Themba TC Dlamini as a CEO. The appointment is effective as of 1 January 2017.
The MDDA is a statutory development agency, deriving its mandate, from Section 16 and 32 of the Constitution Act No. 108 of 1996, thereby providing for freedom of expression and access to information.
As a partnership between the South African Government and major print and broadcasting companies, it promotes and assists in the development of community media and small commercial media in South Africa and the transformation of the media, by providing support (financial, capacity building, etc.) in terms of the MDDA Act No 14 of 2002.
It also aims to raise public awareness with regard to media development and diversity issues, and to encourage media literacy and a culture of reading.
With his former roles including Managing Director of the Black Management Forum, and Chief Executive Officer of the National Gambling Board, the Independent Communications Authority (ICASA) and the Construction Education and Training Authority (CETA), Dlamini brings to the Agency a wealth of experience at a strategic leadership level in both the public and developmental sector.
He is a member of the National Planning Commission (NPC).
Dlamini holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics, and a Master of Arts in Development Economics. He serves on a number of boards including the North West Development Corporation (NWDC); the National Library of South Africa (NLSA) and the National Home Builders Registration Council (NHBRC).
“Mr Dlamini’s proven track record of leadership of entities through such dynamic times will prove invaluable to ensuring that the MDDA continues to fulfil its mandate in promoting and creating an enabling environment to redress exclusion and marginalization of disadvantaged communities and persons from access to the media – as audiences, owners, managers and producers of the media,” Phelisa Nkomo, chairperson of the MDDA, said in a statement.
