Amiable, but with the grit of a true news hound, Milton Nkosi, the head
of the BBC in Africa, has been appointed Bureau Editor for South Asia, writes Thebe Mabanga in Business Times.
After six years in his present post, Soweto-born Nkosi is about to be transplanted to New Delhi, India.
India is striving to become the premier global services hub, and it is one of the fastest- growing economies in the world. As such it is both a competitor and an ally of South Africa in international markets.
Nkosi’s appointment seems due reward for a career that began as an interpreter and streetwise guide for the BBC’s correspondents more than 17 years ago. Nkosi regards it as a “fantastic opportunity†to cover a “rich region that is full of colourâ€ÂÂ.
War correspondent and long- time colleague Hamilton Wende admires Nkosi’s “wonderful sense of enthusiasm for the newsâ€ÂÂ.
“Milton also has a real sense of engagement with people; he does not see himself as an intellectual,†Wende says.
Wende recalls an assignment in violence-stricken Thokoza township in the early ’90s; while they were preparing to cover the funeral of a high-profile victim, random gunfire rang out in a nearby street. As they ran for cover, Nkosi’s instinctive response was to note, “man, the news is happeningâ€ÂÂ.
Nkosi sees his new role as “ensuring that we do not miss any story that matters in the region†and “ensuring that we have the right people in the right placeâ€ÂÂ.
Click here to read the full report, posted on the Sunday Times website.
