7 SEPTEMBER 2013

Programme Director

Premier of KwaZulu Natal, Mr Zweli Mkhize

Chairperson of the PCC, Mr Sikhumbuzo Eric Kholwane

Ethekwini Mayor, Cllr J Nxumalo

Representative of the Royal House, King Goodwill Zwelithini

Chairperson of ICASA, Dr Stephen Ncube

CEO of MDDA, Mr Lumko Mtimde

Chairperson of the NCRF, Mr Sonnyboy Masingi

Chairperson of the KZN Provincial Hub, Mr Simon Ntsele

EXCO Members of the KZN Provincial Hub

KZN Community Radio Board Members and Station Managers

Event Sponsors

Members of the media

Ladies & Gentlemen 

Allow me to commence by expressing my sincere apology for being unable to join you this evening at this auspicious event, the provincial celebration of 20 years of community broadcasting, ahead of the national celebration which is being organised by the National Community Radio Forum. 

As the former president of the Republic of South Africa once said, “you speak to a man in a language he understands it goes to his head, but you speak to a man in his own language that goes to his heart. Ladies and Gentlemen, community broadcasting remains an important facet of the media sector at large. Formed to enhance the country’s democracy by providing communities with an alternative voice, the integral role of community broadcasters cannot go understated. The Department of Communications therefore remains committed to the promotion of universal access and diversity of communications means through the provision of robust broadcast infrastructure, reliable access technologies and quality broadcasting skills provision to operators and projects intending to enter the community broadcasting space.

The benefits of our democracy have immensely altered the broadcasting landscape in South Africa and the development of technologies continue to push the boundaries towards an information society that the South African Government through the Department of Communications, ICASA and other role players in the technology and media space seek to achieve.

The Department has, since the establishment of the community radio support programme in 1998, invested over R400 million into the sector since 1998. Today there are over 133 community radio stations licensed in South Africa and over 75% of them have received support from the Department of Communications.  In addition, the Department provides subsidy for signal distribution costs for community radio located in rural and nodal areas. These will be covered in full by the Department for the next four years. Urban based stations’ signal distribution costs, will only be covered up to 70%.  Over R6 Million has been set aside for this scheme over the next 4 years. 

Lastly, we provide capacity building interventions in varying operational areas of broadcasters’ operations and the provision of programme production interventions as a means of creating a culture of creative and quality content production and delivery by community radio operators. 

I am therefore encouraged to note that the community broadcasting operators in the KZN province, especially the ones in rural areas with low economic activity, have been sustainable and continue to operate notwithstanding challenging circumstances. The province has managed to create employment opportunities for members of the communities through internal skills transfer and exposure and indirectly through its community development delivery services.

Programme Director, on the 7th September 2013, the community media and broadcasting sector in its entirety received with shock and horror, news that Karabo FM, a community radio station in Sasolburg, Free State was hit with an arson attack which left the radio station completely unusable. This senseless attack on the station which set to silence the community’s voice is looked upon with much shame and regret. In this respect, the Department of Communications has taken a lead in terms of engaging and collaborating with the various stakeholders to get the station back on-air within the shortest possible time. 

In conclusion, I would like to acknowledge those who championed the establishment and development of the sector from its infancy since 1993 and those that have received the baton and continue to service our communities diligently. As the Department of Communications, we pledge our continued support and commitment to the sector and further pledge that newly licensed beneficiaries and operators awaiting services from the Department should expect the support program to be in full swing from the 2014 financial year with processes of finalising the revised support strategy to be submitted to Parliament for approval in the current financial year.

With these few words, happy 20thAnnivesary to the South African Community Broadcasting Sector! 

I Thank You.