PRESS STATEMENT
For Immediate Release
DEPARTURE OF MISA ZAMBIA BOARD CHAIRPERSON
LUSAKA, Wednesday 27th September,2023: Greetings to all MISA Zambia Members and all other stakeholders. I am writing to announce a significant change in my role at MISA Zambia.
Effective September 30th, 2023, I will be stepping down from my position as the Board Chairperson of MISA Zambia. This decision has arisen from my new responsibilities assigned to me by my employer, (a teaching role at St. Joseph’s Theological Institute in South Africa), which demand a substantial amount of my time and attention, making it impossible for me to continue serving as the Board Chairperson.
I want to express my sincere gratitude for your unwavering support during my tenure as Board Chairperson. Your dedication to our shared mission has been inspiring, and it has been an honor to work alongside all of you.
During my tenure as MISA Board chairperson, we saw a number of positive developments within MISA Zambia like increased membership, online information sessions, increased number of projects that came on Board (which is a sign of increased donor/stakeholder confidence).
We also showed resilience and steadfastness that drew our current government through the Ministry of Information and Media, IBA, and ZNBC to increased consultative collaboration in matters of policy formulation and implementation.
Others include increased capacity building for our members and radio stations. Since January 2023, MISA Zambia has conducted over 54 capacity building workshops, in-house training and Virtual trainings. Without your support, this would not have been possible. It is my prayer that you will continue supporting the remaining Board members and secretariat so that we can achieve more for the good of our media sector.
While my time as Board Chair comes to an end, please know that my commitment to MISA Zambia’s values and goals remains steadfast. I will continue to support the organization in any way I can.
As I transition into this new role, I extend my best wishes to all of you. Your dedication to media freedom and freedom of expression is vital, and I am confident that MISA Zambia will thrive under new leadership.
Thank you once again for your incredible support and dedication to our cause. I have no doubt that the future holds greater promise for MISA Zambia and its stakeholders.
Issued by,
Rev. Fr. Dr. Barnabas Simatende, OMI, (PhD)
Outgoing MISA Zambia Board Chairperson
