By Francis Tsawayo WINDHOEK MISA Namibia last Friday thanked its sponsors for giving financial support to the MISA Namibia Media Awards, which ceremony was held in June. Certificates of appreciation were handed to all previous sponsors of the event, namely, the principal, basic, category, table and general sponsors, as well as the judges. At a ceremony held last week, the organiser of the awards, Ferdinand Tjombe, emphasized the amount of work and cooperation that is needed to host such event, highlighting the vital role played by sponsors. Tjombe went on to encourage journalists from both the private and public sectors to participate in the next awards. In addition, he called for companies to empower their communications officers and requested continued support from the sponsors. Addressing the event , the chairman of MISA Namibia Christof Maletsky noted the awards evidenced MISA Namibia’s endeavour to build bridges and forge partnerships between business, civil society and government. Maletsky mentioned that the business sector’s contribution towards the success of the 2006 awards was greatly appreciated. He urged all journalists to take part in the next awards and also informed the gathering that a committee has been set up to “set the ball rolling” for the 2007 awards, to be held in the first quarter of the year. The public relations representative of Telecom, Mildred Williams, described the corporation as a credible platform where excellence in journalism is recognised and that an alliance with the media fraternity in celebrating journalism excellence had been formed. Bank Windhoek’s Marketing and Communications Services spokesperson, Helene Badenhorst, proudly announced that Bank Windhoek would continue to support the awards by committing N$31 500 to the 2007 event. Badenhorst noted the contribution as Bank Windhoek’s commitment to continuously building and strengthening of the relationship between the bank and the media in Namibia.