Special category 2003
Posthumous acknowledgement
Brigadier-General Willie Zweni
Wilberforce Willie Mbuyiselo Zweni (Mazambane)
Department of Defence
17 January 1958 – 11 July 2003
(Photo not available)
Background
Willie Zweni was a good model for the new era of communication in which the strategic role of providing inputs from the communication environment has become important. He did this by questioning organisational decisions, pointing out the implications, fearlessly speaking out on issues from the communication perspective to the top leadership in the department.
He could look critically at what was done and fearlessly and honestly gave his informed view from a communication perspective, in order to advise and protect the credibility of the department.
At his own level with his staff, he practiced this as well by listening and getting informed inputs about communication implications of all matters before him. He truly practiced the spirit of Imbizo with his staff and with the public he was serving as a loyal public official.
Willie based his communication work on the values of the public, the values of democracy, the values of communicators in a democracy, which is about the quest for truth, transparency, openness, accountability, two-way communication, and critical perspective.
He is today receiving this acknowledgement not for a specific product or campaign, but for the role he played in leading, motivating and getting a group of communicators to create good communication products and impact. He believed in the power of the ordinary person to do extraordinary things, and then helped his colleagues to do it. top |
