Africa’s oldest community radio station appoints new MD

By NEWSTEAM
30 March 2010

Bush Radio has appointed its new Managing Director Brenda Leonard following her long service that spans over a decade at Africa’s oldest community radio station.

Leonard takes the reins over from Zane Ibrahim who headed the station from 1996 and retired at the end of last month.

She hailed her appointment as another opportunity to address challenges currently facing community media in the 21st centaury.

Leonard, who headed the station’s finance and administration departments, was critical to ensuring success during the first license hearing post-1994 and all subsequent license hearings.

She was instrumental in drafting policies and procedures that has has been effective in culminating training, employment or programming that is gender sensitive – as well as ensuring that the Bush Radio had one of the first HIV and AIDS workplace policies in the country.

She has also been in the forefront of ensuring that radio can be used as a tool for gender, political and health education.

Leonard has been active in the establishment of, and training at, several radio stations in the region, as well as giving input to Parliament and other bodies on issues related to media and freedom of expression.

During South Africa’s struggle against apartheid, Leonard occupied various roles within the liberation movement and was deeply involved in student politics in the Western Cape – as well as leading transformation within various communities on the Cape Flats.

She is married to Jeremiah Thuynsma and has two children, Ashley aged 13, and 9 year-old Amilcar Cabral and holds a Communication Science degree from the University of South Africa.