Jeremias Langa is the new chairman of the MISA Regional Governing Council. Langa takes up the post some seven months after being appointed last May as a member and vice-chairman of the Regional Governing Council of the Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA Regional).

Jeremias Langa took over the position this Monday, replacing Zimbabwean Golden Maunganidze. In his new position, Jeremias Langa will be assisted by Golden Matonga (president of MISA Malawi), as vice-president, and Tanzanian Salame Kitomari (from MISA Tanzania), as treasurer.

"It's a feeling of gratitude"

For Jeremias Langa, the act represents a feeling of gratitude, because it means that "our partners in the region recognize the work we are doing in Mozambique for freedom of expression and the press". For Langa, this is also a great honor for his own country, Mozambique, as "it is the first time we have taken on such an important position".

Regarding the work ahead, the new president of the MISA Regional Governing Council points out that one of the main priorities is to establish and consolidate the organization in all the countries of the region as an advocacy platform for freedoms, and gives one of the most current examples.

"We are in the final stages of re-establishing MISA Angola, work that has been led by MISA Mozambique," says Langa, adding that "we want MISA to return to the strength that characterized it when it was founded".

On what to expect from MISA Regional in a context of ongoing violations of press freedom and freedom of expression, such as the recent example in Mozambique, Jeremias Langa points to dialog as one of the ways out. "Unfortunately, our work is downstream of democratic processes.

The more the political and democratic environment deteriorates, the more citizens' rights are affected, but we are not going to give up, we are going to continue doing our advocacy work. Our work is based on permanent dialog with the institutions: Government, the Portuguese Parliament, the Ombudsman, among other important stakeholders for the materialization of fundamental rights," he says. (MISA)