John Mokwetsi
10 November 2009
THE indelible footprints that Miriam Patsanza has left in everything she touches will inspire many generations of women long after she is gone. The former journalist who even dared to study community medicine and education at Leeds University in the United Kingdom is one never to give up on anything she sets her mind on.
Patsanza is the famous face behind the renowned programme, Beyond Our Borders that has been showing on television screens across the Southern African Development Community (Sadc) since 2000. "The idea to start this magazine programme that looks at things that unite us as Africa than the things that divide us was born out of the realisation that there is very little if any that we see about the positive value of our continent," Patsanza said.
Beyond Our Borders became the first regional television programme to be aired by 10 national broadcasters during prime time. She continues to work on the series.
The versatile journalist has given several lecture tours internationally and has run media training consultancy workshops in South Africa, Mozambique and Zimbabwe.
The magazine programme premieres its fifth season, on ZTV next month before it goes to the rest of the Sadc region in January. The 13-part series is called In Honour of our Mothers and Sisters.
She said: "One important thing is the need to celebrate beauty, the beauty of life in Africa. It must also be noted that my major worry had to do with quality productions and try and set a benchmark."
Born of a South African mother, Antoinette Sibusisiwe Solani and Zimbabwean father Peter -- both deceased -- Patsanza has sworn allegiance to both countries.
She has carved a name for herself in the two countries. In South Africa where her company Talent Consortium which launched in 1984 is headquartered, Patsanza is a big name.
This is not so much about that she was once married to Moeletsi Mbeki, young brother to former South African President Thabo Mbeki but because her magical touch made miracles. When she moved to South Africa with Moeletsi in August 1991, she produced the first ever programme directed by black South Africans and televised by the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC).
"It was a milestone to do so because we were being broadcast by the SABC. We became the first black people to produce the documentary programme called The Community of Returning Exiles. It was well received," she recalls.
In 1993 Patsanza was part of the consulting team involved in restructuring the Good Morning South Africa television breakfast show.
She was nominated one of the founding members of the Broadcast Complaints Commission of South Africa but subsequently resigned to avoid any risk of conflict of interest.
"I was always inspired by my parents and the community I lived in because every elder was a mother and father.
"They played that role so effectively we grew up well. Those people are still my parents today even after my biological ones passed on," she said.
She said she was also inspired by Govan Mbeki, her late former father-in-law. Patsanza also had the privilege to work under the tutelage of Allan Arkin the brilliant director who directed the film, The Russians are Coming.
It was this inspiration that must have pushed her to become the vice-president of Zimbabwe's first independent television channel Joy TV.
The station was unfortunately shut down by the Zimbabwe government in 2002 after it was deemed "politically incorrect".
But Patsanza is more than what we have already told.
In 1988 Miriam and her husband went to Harvard University in the United States. Her husband was a Neiman Fellow and Miriam enrolled for an MBA management course.
For the past 18 years she has trained mid-career radio and television practitioners in the region, civil society and women leaders in South Africa and government officials on how to analyse and create relevant media content.
She has also trained communities and community leaders on how to publicise their projects and articulate their needs to policy makers and development partners.
As founder and editorial director she ensures that all training offered is "hands on" and subject specialists are invited to give media practitioners (trainees) a holistic understanding of issues. "Women are not being given their chance to show that they to can lead for the good of the world," Patsanza said with all the confidence that has seen her scale dizzy heights.
"I know we are capable and we are the iron women who can make a change," she said.
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