NFVF CEO Vincent Blennies resigns just one month into role, citing ‘personal reasons'
His appointment came amid instability following the resignation of former CEO Thobela Mayinje, who faced various allegations.
Despite lacking experience in the film industry, Blennies was chosen for his extensive leadership background across healthcare, telecommunications, and financial services.
Vincent Blennies resigned from his position as CEO of the National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) just one month after his appointment.
The foundation said in a statement that Blennies 'has resigned from his position on 27 May 2025, for personal reasons.'
'Rest assured that we, as your Council, are addressing the matter with the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture (DSAC) and continue to work towards ensuring stability and growth within our organisation,' ended the statement by the NFVF.
In addition to his role at the new NFVF, Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture Gayton McKenzie appointed him to Boxing South Africa's board in November 2024.
Blennies' appointment came after former CEO Thobela Mayinje abruptly quit amid an investigation into numerous allegations.
The NFVF, backed by the DSAC, funds and helps the local film business develop, produce, market, and distribute local content.
While Blennies took on the role without a clear background or experience in the industry, the NFVF said he 'brings over 25 years of C-suite leadership experience in the healthcare, telecommunications, and financial services sectors' to the agency.
They added, 'His appointment ushers in a renewed era of stability and strategic direction.'
NFVF's new CEO, Mr Vincent Blennies, is a private sector professional and PhD candidate whose experience in telecomms, banking and fund management in the healthcare sector, will drive refreshed energy into the NFVF and lead it to deliver on its 5-year strategic plan. #LoveSAFilm pic.twitter.com/xmPVNshv8M
— National Film & Video Foundation #NFVF (@nfvfsa) April 16, 2025
The embattled foundation has experienced several crises over the years. Mayinje, who had been acting as CEO for over a year and a half, was placed on 'administrative leave' in July 2024 for an 'investigation for numerous allegations.'
Last year, McKenzie disbanded the NFVF Council, which was replaced with new board members.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
16 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Five things to know about Nigeria's oil sector
Africa's biggest oil refinery will on Friday start direct and free shipping of fuel to retailers in Nigeria, a move expected to disrupt the oil sector in the continent's largest crude producer. Nigeria's Dangote Refinery says that the plan will boost efficiency by cutting down on intermediaries while providing more competitive options for consumers and retailers such as petrol stations. Owned by the country's richest man, Aliko Dangote, the 650,000 barrel-per-day capacity refinery launched in 2023, helping knock down prices after a steep hike following the removal of fuel subsidies by the government. Here are some things to know about Nigeria's oil industry: - Key economic sector - Crude was first discovered in Nigeria in 1956 in the southern Niger Delta region. The west African oil giant pumps an average of 1.5 million barrels per day, according to OPEC, but it is still short of its two million bpd target. Oil accounts for around 62 percent of Nigeria's export earnings and forms a huge chunk of government revenue. - Longstanding energy crisis - The industry has for decades been plagued by problems, amongst them high crude oil production costs due to ageing infrastructure, oil theft, corruption and environmental pollution. Producing crude in Nigeria costs around $30 per barrel, according to the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited, compared to around $10 in Saudi Arabia. High extraction costs, as well as volatile global oil prices, make it increasingly difficult for Nigeria to stay competitive internationally. Persistent oil theft -- known locally as bunkering -- has created an unstable environment for investment, causing international oil companies to dump onshore assets. There are four government-operated refineries with a total capacity of 445,000 bpd, but they have long been hampered by poor maintenance and graft. State owned oil firm NNPC has long been the subject of allegations of corruption, political interference and mismanagement. Several of its executives are being investigated by the anti-graft police. In January, US authorities returned to Nigeria nearly $53 million in illicit money recovered from an ex-petroleum minister. For decades, Nigeria has been shipping crude to Europe for refining, and the country experienced sporadic fuel shortages until the Dangote refinery came on board, resulting in improved supplies. Prior to the Dangote refinery coming online, the industry had "largely been structured around (the) interests of well-monied and politically connected middlemen", and it was not in their interests for refining to happen domestically, said SBM Intelligence analyst Ikemesit Effiong. Upon taking office, President Bola Tinubu scrapped fuel subsidies that were bleeding billions of dollars out of the state coffers. Petrol pump prices jumped more than fivefold, but have since gradually dropped. - Bypassing traditional distributors - Dangote is rolling out 4,000 compressed natural gas-powered trucks to distribute petroleum nationwide, in a market where more than 20,000 diesel-powered tankers have operated for decades. Aside from removing logistics bottlenecks, the initiative will "significantly lower distribution costs and improve fuel availability", and alleviate "inflationary pressures", said Dangote's group spokesman Anthony Chiejina. But not everyone is happy with the game-changing initiative in the industry. The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria fears the creation of a monopoly. "In theory, this plan should reduce the cost of petrol distribution," but the drop in the pump prices may not be significant, said Clement Isong, head of the Major Energy Marketers Association of Nigeria. - Other players - Some major players acknowledge that Dangote's entry into the industry has impacted their earnings. Oando group saw its revenue plummet 15 percent in the first six months of 2025, with its group chief executive Wale Tinubu -- who is the president's nephew -- writing that the entity's declining revenue was as a result of slowing petrol imports "into the country due to rising local refining capacity from the Dangote Refinery, a positive development that enhances Nigeria's energy security and self-sufficiency". TotalEnergies Marketing Nigeria also reported a dip in half-year revenue. A second privately-owned refinery, BUA is under construction by another Nigerian billionaire, Abdulsamad Rabiu. - Pollution, accidents - Nigeria's oil sector has for decades been tainted by environmental pollution where pipeline spills make fishing and farming difficult. Oil companies blame most of the leaks on sabotage by local criminal gangs vandalising pipelines to steal the crude. Accidents involving fuel trucks are common in the west African nation, where people often rush to the site of petrol truck wrecks to scoop up spilled fuel -- underscoring the economic precarity many live in despite the oil riches. sn-oa/nro/bc/tc Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
23 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Councilman Marcus Miller discusses Hotel Topeka deals
TOPEKA (KSNT) – Topeka City Councilmember Marcus Miller joined the 27 News Morning show and answered questions about the council's progress on the sale of Hotel Topeka. Miller said that signing a deal with Endeavor Hotel Group is likely the direction the City Council will go. 'Hoping all the parties and everyone involved, agencies come together to make this happen,' Miller said. There have been several offers made on Hotel Topeka. 27 News asked why the deal with Endeavor Hotel Group is moving forward. Miller said that the council wanted to make sure that the city gets the most money out of the deal as possible. Endeavor Hotel Group CEO talks vision for Hotel Topeka 'Again this isn't a situation that none of us necessarily wanted to be in, but we are,' Miller said. 'I mean I know for sure, I wasn't there. But I'm not putting the blame on the past council.' Miller said the Hotel Topeka dealings hasn't been smooth but that the city would get the majority of the tax dollars back by the end of the deal. 27 News asked about another offer made on Hotel Topeka by 1717 Realty Corp for $2 million that would see the hotel branded as a Wyndham Hotel. In July, the City of Topeka rejected the offer. Miller was the only councilmember to vote against rejecting the offer. 'It probably didn't provide enough long-term,' Miller said. 'Because that was my thing was trying to get as much tax dollars back as possible. It may have been less up front but long term it wasn't as much money back.' Kansas Board of Education votes to change scale for state assessments The Letter of Intent is contingent upon Shawnee County agreeing to provide Endeavor with a long-term management agreement for the nearby Maner Conference Center along with the county investing around $6 million in the rehabilitation of the center. We asked what would happen if the county doesn't invest the $6 million. 'Then we address it as it comes across,' Miller said. 'I'm not going to put that on the county. I think there's some times where its easy to throw a softball and lob back and forth, and I don't like doing that.' On Tuesday, city leaders heard from Endeavor CEO Roy Arnold on the group's plans for the hotel. The city has spent $12.2 million on the hotel since purchasing it in 2023. City leaders in the Topeka Development Corporation (TDC) cast eight votes in favor of allowing the city manager to sign the letter of intent on July 15. One member of the TDC abstained from the vote. The City of Topeka said Endeavor Hotel Group plans to purchase the hotel for $1 million with the rest of the city's investment into the building being paid off through taxes raised by a community improvement district (CID) and transient guest tax (TGT) over the next 20 years, according to the city's press release. For more local news, click here. Keep up with the latest breaking news in northeast Kansas by downloading our mobile app and by signing up for our news email alerts. Sign up for our Storm Track Weather app by clicking here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Solve the daily Crossword
News24
an hour ago
- News24
The great talkathon: Could SA's National Dialogue risk becoming just more noise?
EDITORIAL: The great talkathon: Could SA's National Dialogue risk becoming just more noise? South Africans are not afraid to speak out about the challenges facing their country. The airwaves are filled with concerned voices, or citizens choose the route of protest action. They've also had opportunities to attend imbizos or engage with the National Council of Provinces' initiative, Taking Parliament to the People. While South Africans are eager to participate in initiatives aimed at addressing the country's issues, trust in public institutions – a cornerstone of any functioning democracy – is steadily declining. This erosion of trust is exacerbated by the recurring pattern of countless inquiries being launched, their reports left to gather dust, with little to no action taken, despite recommendations being made that politicians face prosecution. A pressing question is whether the much-anticipated National Dialogue will turn out to be another costly tick-box exercise, yielding no tangible results. Many share this fear. In this week's edition of Friday Briefing, we explore both sides of the debate on whether a National Dialogue is the appropriate step forward for the country. Independent analyst Ebrahim Fakir argues against the concept, stating that while a National Dialogue may create a sense of unity and optimism, it fails to address the deeper issues of state capacity, policy incoherence, and lack of political will. National Dialogue co-convenor Tinyiko Maluleke offers another perspective, telling in-depth writer Muhammad Hussain that he believes it is a credible process and that its credibility can only increase. We also have input from Cosatu general secretary, Solly Phetoe, and reflect on the views of Maluleke, Nombiniso Gasa and Bheki Ntshalintshali, who are all members of the Eminent Persons Group. You can read these full submissions below. Dialogue, distraction or deception? Ordinarily, one should never silence or dissuade anyone from talking in a democracy, unless they are propagating violence or promoting hate. But there are instances in which it is wise to ask people to stop talking, especially if talking is a distraction and a waste of time and money, writes Ebrahim Fakir. Read the the rest of the article here. Q&A with Tinyiko Maluleke | 'We are the guarantors of the National Dialogue's credibility' Professor Tinyiko Maluleke, who is the co-chair together with Roelf Meyer of the Eminent Persons Group (EPG) for the National Dialogue, responds to concerns about the dialogue's implementation challenges and explains the group's role in ensuring credibility. Read the rest of the article here. SA's triple crisis: Can National Dialogue fix jobs, graft and division? With 72% youth unemployment tearing the country apart and fake news fueling racial hatred, President Cyril Ramaphosa's National Dialogue is South Africa's last chance to force government, business, and citizens into a brutal reckoning with decades of failed promises, writes Solly Phetoe. Read the rest of the article here. GCIS Why the National Dialogue is still credible - EPG As the reputations of many of the EPG are on line, the group has this week defended the process to the hilt - which is its mandate. We ask some of the eminent persons when will risking your reputation be too much, especially with major warning signs of a credibility and legitimacy crisis. Read the rest of the article here. Show Comments ()
