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Maureen Nkandu: Difference between revisions
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==Professional career== | ==Professional career== | ||
Maureen began as a continuity presenter at ZNBC all the while begging her bosses to let her do the news which was the preserve of 'the veterans' at the station. Then one day the news presenter did not show up on time and she asked them to let her read the news which they reluctantly allowed her to. The news was watched by virtually everyone in the country including President [[Kenneth Kaunda]]. When she concluded the take, her director was ecstatic with her performance. Having noticed her evident talent, the station invested in Maureen by sending her for formal training. | Maureen began her broadcasting career at the age of 18 as a continuity presenter at ZNBC in 1986 -- all the while begging her bosses to let her do the news which was the preserve of 'the veterans' at the station. Then one day the news presenter did not show up on time and she asked them to let her read the news which they reluctantly allowed her to. The news was watched by virtually everyone in the country including President [[Kenneth Kaunda]]. When she concluded the take, her director was ecstatic with her performance. Having noticed her evident talent, the station invested in Maureen by sending her for formal training. | ||
==Personal life== | |||
Later in her teenage life, Maureen met and got engaged to Zambia's soccer legend and former [[Football Association of Zambia]] president, [[Kalusha Bwalya]] who was based in Belgium at that time. Together they had a daughter, Tamela, but their relationship did not last long. She was in her teens and he was 23; they were young and the public attention also put a strain on them. | |||
Maureen has three children. | |||
==Capture in Congo DR== | ==Capture in Congo DR== | ||
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That evening, the SABC reported on the evening news that its crew was missing in Kinshasa. Shortly after, the BBC picked up the story and before long, it became international news which led to their eventual release and repatriation. | That evening, the SABC reported on the evening news that its crew was missing in Kinshasa. Shortly after, the BBC picked up the story and before long, it became international news which led to their eventual release and repatriation. | ||
Maureen was head hunted in 1993 by BOP TV in the former Bophutatswana in South Africa for their flagship programme Panorama. She did the show for a year before heading to the University of Wales to pursue a Masters degree in Journalism. Afterwards she travelled around Europe, doing freelance work for Radio Netherlands International and later lecturing part time at the Danish School of Journalism. | |||
"On completing my studies I joined the public relations department at MNET and did some field reporting for Carte Blanche. In 1997 I joined the SABC where I used to read the 5p.m. news and later became quite involved in covering stories on the rest of the African continent." | |||
While in Zambia and at BOP, Maureen had won various journalism awards and her fearless reporting at the SABC attracted more praise and recognition. The BBC Africa Service noticed her work and offered her a position as presenter and producer of the flagship Focus on Africa programme. | |||
She returned to South Africa in 2007, citing fatigue from the western lifestyle. | |||
"I felt that I had a greater role to play on my continent by being here and not in London." | |||
Maureen returned to the SABC, when she reported on the volatile elections in Kenya in December 2007. She brought out the key political and social aspects of the tension in Kenya, while also showcasing how the violence and all the flawed processes impacted on the people there. | |||
She then decided it was time to hang up the notebook and microphone and took up a senior position at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) as communications adviser for east and southern Africa, a role she served in until May 2012 when she joined the NEPAD Agency of the African Union as Head of Communications. | |||
"I enjoy living in South Africa because it is a mixed basket of life. The diversity is amazing and a great lesson to the rest of the world on how so many different people can co-exist. The cosmopolitan place that Johannesburg is makes it a great city, although there are still a lot of challenges to overcome. I travel regularly to Zambia for work and to visit my family." | |||
In spite of having interviewed many influential individuals including sitting African presidents, her hallmarks were when the stories she brought to the fore had resonance, when they had an impact on people's lives and the information that she reported helped them make better decisions. She believes this is still the case with her communications responsibilities at international organisations. | |||
"I have been blessed all my life to achieve that which I set out for. That is God's great plan for me. Without mincing my words, I see myself in the highest office on the land, be it nationally in Zambia or in an international organisation. I am keen on servant leadership and not the prestige of these positions. I think I could really effect change, being an African woman who has travelled and lived around the world and has had first-hand experience in issues of poverty, under-development, human rights violations, prejudice, opulence and dictatorship. I believe I have a greater understanding of the fundamental issues to serve at the highest level of leadership." | |||
Maureen confesses that she has a few profound regrets which she will reveal in a book about her life that she hopes to pen at the appropriate moment. | |||
==External links== | ==External links== | ||
