A passion for communication

Audrin Mathe is the executive director at the information and communication technology ministry, where he began working in August 2022.Mathe described his experience working at the ministry as "great."He said he works with excellent political principals, beginning with minister Dr. Peya Mushelenga and deputy minister Emma Theofilus, who he said have a good appreciation of what accounting officers do, which makes his job easy.He added that the management team is easy to work with and that the youthful staff has been amazing."I could not have asked for more. Everyone is engaged in the process," Mathe said.BackgroundBefore Mathe started working at the ministry, he worked in the sport, youth and national service ministry.Going further back, his career began at the Namibian Broadcasting Corporation (NBC), where he started as a scriptwriter and trainee.Later, he was promoted to assistant producer before being promoted to producer. He extended his thanks to mentors such as Hilda Basson-Namundjembo, Dudley Viall, and Rikuetjua Tjombonde who supported him during the start of his career.By the time he left to join the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) as spokesperson to the then Prime Minister Hage Geingob in 2001, he was an assistant manager for television programmes.He highlighted that he learned a lot about the art of political communication from Geingob.When Mathe left the OPM in 2003, he joined the University of Namibia until 2005, when he was offered a job as executive assistant to the secretary-general of the SADC parliamentary forum, but only for a year before he joined the Roads Authority as head of communications."I hated being in the same job for longer than five years. I was looking for a challenge," Mathe stated.In 2011, he re-joined NBC as chief news and programming officer – a new position at the time.He stayed there until 2013, when he left to take up a position as chief executive officer at New Era Publications Corporation, which was his last posting before rejoining government in 2020.Overcoming challengesMathe attended most of his high school at Caprivi Senior Secondary School (CSSS).He noted that, at that time, it was considered a training ground for students in political education.That meant that, one way or another, he was going to get into trouble with the authorities.As there were no taxis at that time, Mathe had to walk long distances to and from school.He completed high school at St. Kizito College, six kilometres out of Katima Mulilo, where he enrolled in 1992. He said he joined Kizito because he could not be admitted to CSSS because of his involvement in student politics.Prioritising education His struggles did not stop him, as he eventually succeeded in earning a good education with eight degrees in various fields.This includes a PhD in rhetoric studies (persuasive communication) from the University of Cape Town, an MA in communication science from the University of the Free State, an MPhil in development policy and practice from the University of Cape Town, as well as a master's in business administration from the University of Namibia.When asked about his biggest career challenges, he said there are many, but the most consequential ones involved a Supreme Court ruling on a gay couple who wanted to have Namibian citizenship for their son born of a surrogate. "It is part of the job to have to put someone in their rightful corner. I do recognise that each of us has the prerogative of an opinion. But the opinion of a diplomat in the country of posting has meaning," he said.Words of adviceMathe's advice to aspiring youth is to make a conscious decision to study something they are passionate about.He believes that not only will it help them understand their work, but it will guarantee that they enjoy it as well. "Communication is an interesting field that is forever changing. If you enjoy a quiet corner, communication and public relations are not for you," Mathe advised.He advised that in tough times, it is important to avoid feeling sorry for oneself and to keep your head high and keep walking.In his own words:- I do not eat fish (yes, I am from Zambezi)- I have never been late since 19 April 1998- I finished my PhD in 18 months- I am a night owl- I am the first Namibian to study rhetoricHe added that he is an active karate sensei with a rank of sandan. He has been practising karate since he was 14 years old, and it has become a lifestyle for him. He also plays soccer and volleyball socially. He enjoys reading books and catching up with current affairs.Mathe enjoys keeping up with his friends and family during the weekends, and being outdoors and travelling are two of his favourite things to do.

A passion for communication

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Allgemeine Zeitung 2025-01-15

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A passion for communication

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Allgemeine Zeitung 2025-01-15

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