Public relationers elect new local council
Public Relations Practitioner of note, Maria Dax, steered the GIPF in an acting capacity while the fund’s trustees were hunting for a new Principal Officer. Maria has now elected the new Chairperson of the Namibian chapter of the Public Relations Institute of Southern Africa.
Committee members front line left to right: Gladwin Groenewaldt (Member), Maria Dax (Chairperson), Ndangi Katoma (Chairperson elect) Committee members back line left to right: Josephine Shikongo (Secretary), Annemarie Saunderson (Treasurer), Natasja Beyleveld (PR & Communication)
PRISA is a professional organisation for public relations and communication management practitioners throughout the Southern African region and has registered practitioners in Botswana, Namibia, Lesotho, Swaziland and South Africa.
“Effective communication is the cornerstone of every successful relationship, and PRISA Namibia will continue to be an ambassador for effective communication throughout Namibia. Namibia needs to entrench a culture of professional, timeous and grounded communication from its existing and aspiring network of communication specialists. Effective communication from top to bottom, and bottom to top – ensures good employer-employee service cultures, and would take Government and the public from strength to strength”, says Natasja Beyleveld, a newly elected Committee member responsible for PR and Communications .
Maria Dax, new Chairperson said “Public relations, like advertising, has changed because of client pressure and is now much more bottom-line driven resulting in many firms branching into strategic communication rather than events. Some consultancies are taking an integrated communication approach whilst others have become more specialised, focusing on their core competencies, e.g. media relations.”
“PRISA encourages the participation of academia in its programmes and activities. By ensuring that academics receive CPD points for their research dissertations, they are encouraged to grow the body of knowledge by sharing the benefits to practitioners of their research. In order to bring academia and practice closer together, articles should be published and presentations made at PRISA events. PRISA applauds a win-win relationship between journalists and communication specialists in Namibia, and will continue to develop the debate forum, share of best practise, and recommendations made by both parties towards establishing a communications arena that is of highest standard” she said.
