Staff Reporter
Namibia’s leading telecommunication company, MTC yesterday held a sponsorship engagement meeting with all MTC-sponsored sports bodies in Windhoek.
The annual event, was attended by all 13 different beneficiaries, currently receiving funding from MTC. The purpose of the session was to engage with the beneficiaries around issues on branding, reputation, handling of finance affairs and processes, how to create and maintain sound media relations and generally explore opportunities of how parties (sponsees and sponsor) can create synergies.
Addressing the session, Chief Human Capital and Corporate Affairs Officer, Tim Ekandjo placed emphasis on good governance, and shielding the brand image, perception, and reputation at all times.
“Sound management and governance structure is the foundation and seed for quality outcome that must never be compromised on. MTC is Namibia’s most admired brand, and we take our brand and reputation very seriously. It is therefore your responsibility as sponsees to make sure that you, at no time, place MTC’s brand and reputation in a tarnishing light, disrepute, or any controversial position that will degrade the brand’s integrity, and how MTC’s brand is perceived.”
“Furthermore, as a beneficiary, you must understand our business, in order to be able to add value to our brand. Our responsibility is to assist you financially so that you can succeed, and in return, yours is to market our brand. If you fail to live up to your responsibility in this, and become a liability to our brand, regardless of who you are, we will be forced to review our partnership,” he said.
Ekandjo also cautioned that beneficiaries involved in mismanagement of funds and racism across board will never be tolerated.
“Accountability and sheer transparency is key as we require you to be submitting your quarterly reports to us. Also worth mentioning is that, sport is a unifier, hence issues such as tribalism, racism, or any form of discrimination will never be tolerated,” said Ekandjo.
The workshop came after last year announcement when MTC sent shock waves through the sporting world with a multi-million-dollar sponsorship of N$67 800 000, making it the biggest ever sponsorship commitment in Namibia. The sponsorship is split between 13 different beneficiaries across seven different sports codes, which include soccer, horse racing, boxing, rugby, hockey, netball, Youth Games and fashion respectively.