Maphanyane is MISA regional chair
Keikantse Lesemela | Monday September 1, 2014 11:05
The veteran media activist, who chairs MISA-Botswana was elected to the regional post on Friday at MASA Centre, Gaborone. Maphanyane said he did not campaign but had to answer a call from his regional colleagues who have been courting him for the position for some time.
“This time round, I could not say no, also considering that we were hosting the (AGM of the) regional body. It has taken years for the regional body to stage an AGM in Botswana due to issues of costs.
But today, costs have gone high in every country, so coming to Botswana the cost was not prohibitive,” he explained. Maphanyane becomes only the second Motswana after the late Clara Olsen to occupy the regional MISA seat.
As he starts his three year tenure, he said MISA has identified the strengthening of national bodies as key to making the regional office effective. He would like to see more donor partners associating with MISA.
“But for that to happen, we need to concentrate on the growth of country chapters, recruiting new members, and corporate partners that will help us carry out our advocacy role,” he explained.
Maphanyane said as a regional media body, MISA has been the object of admiration in Africa. “We are being admired. Other regions of Africa are asking us how we built such a success story,” he stated. Though he has been elevated to the MISA regional chair, he will continue serving in the same capacity in the Botswana chapter.
“I will continue to be based in Botswana, travelling to other chapters and the regional office from here, where need arises,” he explained.
Maphanyane values transparency and freedom of information in Southern African countries. He said that although MISA has limited resources, the new team would work hard to enforce freedom of information.
“In our countries, freedom of information is still lacking so we need to urge our governments to enact freedom of information and freedom of expression laws.
We must make our governments accountable in their representative roles.
They should not be our masters,” he said.