The National Community Radio Forum issued a press statement after their meeting with the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) yesterday.
Again Bush Radio is very concerned about these developments and we believe that a closure of one station is worrying. We call upon all parties involved to look for an amicable solution for the continued survival and growth of the community radio sector.
We also encourage communities, individuals, organisations and businesses to support their community radio stations.
“In the small meeting room buried deep within Bush Radio’s second-floor offices on Victoria Road in Salt River, central Cape Town, and lying alongside an ancient Zenith Trans-Oceanic analog radio are two maroon leather cases.
These cases are marked with the iconic golden dog and gramophone logo of His Master’s Voice, formerly the Victor Talking Machine Company. These cases contain original recordings of speeches, debates, poetry, and music performed by South African anti-apartheid activists—those deemed so dangerous that they were banned from gathering or speaking publicly by the then-government.”
If you would like to see us continue our work or have been touched by it please show your support through a contribution via our GIVEGAIN campaign or directly into our account:
Bank: Standard Bank Account Name: Bush Radio Account Number: 07 122 0194 Branch Name: Mowbray Branch Code: 004909 Bank address: 37 – 39 Main Road, Mowbray, Western Cape, South Africa, 7700 SWIFT address: SBZA ZA JJ
Besides being part of the organizing committee, we also had several interviews leading up to the day and spent the day at Community House broadcasting and engaging in the discussions and activities
It has been a hectic couple of months at Bush Radio as we provided debates with all the political parties, encouraging listeners to vote, covering the voting stations and the results as they became available.
We would like to thank all the people involved in making sure we kept everyone up to speed on making their mark.
A special thank you to our listeners, volunteers, supporters and the Western Cape IEC team headed by Courtney Sampson and their media office, Trevor Davids and Olivia Nagan.
Bush Radio will continue our work to promote building democracy and expand on its “Democracy is not a spectator sport” philosophy.
World Press Freedom day (3 May) is a date which celebrates the principles of press freedom, to evaluate and defend the media from attacks on their independence and to pay tribute to journalists who have lost their lives in the exercise of their profession.
World Press Freedom day also acts as a reminder to governments of the need to respect and commitment to press freedom.
It serves as an occasion to inform citizens of violations of press freedom – a reminder that in dozens of countries around the world, publications are censored, fined, suspended and closed down, while journalists, editors and publishers are harassed, attacked, detained and even murdered.
World Press Freedom Day was proclaimed by the UN General Assembly in 1993 following a Recommendation adopted at the twenty-sixth session of UNESCO’s General Conference in 1991. This in turn was a response to a call by African journalists who in 1991 produced the Windhoek Declaration on media pluralism and independence.
On Human Rights Day the 21st of March, Community Housewill be celebrating 34 years of activism.
Several activities are planned for the day which starts at 11am. These activities include an exhibition, panel discussions and cultural events.
Bush Radio 89.5FMwill be doing a live broadcast and Cape Town TV will film the day.
The exhibition will showcase the work of the various organisations that are, and have been based at Community House.
The panel discussions will centre on the role of activists and activism in a democracy and Womens Rights.
If you would like to be part of these discussions either as a panelist or audience. Contact Elizabeth Schutter on 0846162687 or elizabeth.schutter@gmail.com
How to get to the venue from Bush Radio
Cultural activities:
Worker plays, choirs, dancing, music, poetry all will have a space.
11am start
Exhibition of memorabilia and info tables in Ashley Kriel Hall, to stay throughout the day.
11:30 am to 1pm
Panel Discussion in Iman Haroon Room
1pm
Lunch break
Cultural items from Sons of South in Ashley Kriel Hall Dance flash mob in courtyard or parking lot
2pm to 3pm
2nd Panel Discussion in Iman Haroon Room AK hall exhibition continues
3 to 5pm
CCC Cultural Programme- Ashley Kriel Hall
5 to 6pm
Supper served
7 for 8pm (till late)
Gumba jol starts in Ashley Kriel Hall
Background to Community House
Community House situated in Salt River, Cape Town is a unique and historic site of living heritage. It has always been known as a site of activism from around the mid 1980s which has shaped and continues to shape the socio-political landscape of its extended communities. The building itself houses NGO’s and Trade Unions as well as a labour and community history museum centered on the Trade Union Library and its archive. It presently houses twenty-four organizations that focus on labour research, popular education, gender advocacy, HIV/AIDS education, environmental issues, youth development, media production and union organization.
In the mid-1980s, anti-apartheid trade unions and civic and service organizations began searching for a new headquarters for their resistance campaign. The Western Province Council of Churches (WPCC) and an NGO, the Social Change Assistance Trust (SCAT) met this need. They purchased a dilapidated auto-workshop in Salt River, an area known for its textile and light metal factories and which marks the origins of industrial unions in the province.
The site was declared a provincial heritage site in 2010.
The media in South Africa commemorates the 41st anniversary of the infamous “Black Wednesday” which happened on the 19 October 1977, The World and Weekend World newspapers and several organisations were banned.
We have come a long way to media freedom in this country. Being Africa’s oldest community radio station project, which at one stage faced the full wrath of the apartheid government, we feel it is our duty and responsibility to promote accurate and fair reporting.
Bush Radio does not have the resources to be a “breaking news” station, but it is our duty to be accurate and give our listeners an opportunity to make up their own minds. This however can only happen if we present all sides of any argument, through good research and having access to role-players like politicians on a local, provincial and national level – this is proving harder and harder as officials simply refuse to comment or respond to questions from our newsroom and producers.
We call on all role-players who have an interest in improving the lives of the people on the Cape Flats to be accessible, especially to community media who truly speak and represent the people of Cape Town. It is only by engaging on the hard questions that we can truly claim to be improving the lives of citizens – and being a platform where people and audience can engage with political and social leaders. Thereby learning, healing and growing this wonderful city.
As a place where many young journalists start in their careers, we call upon our audience to hold us accountable and engage with us around our reporting and broadcasts.
Background on Black Wednesday:
On this day in 1977 in South Africa, then Minister of Justice Jimmy Kruger, banned The World and Weekend World newspapers by stating that these publications were “publishing inflammatory material that threatened the nation’s security” and the paper’s editor Percy Qoboza and other journalists were arrested and jailed.
19 organisations were also banned and apartheid critics were detained.
The organisations banned were BPC, SASO, Black Community Programmes, Black Parents Association, Black Women’s Federation, Border Youth Organisation, Eastern Province Youth Organisation, Medupe Writers Association, Natal Youth Organisation, National Youth Organisation, SASM, Soweto Students Representative Council, Soweto Teachers Action Committee, Transvaal Youth Organisation, Union of Black Journalists, Western Cape Youth Organisation, Zimele Trust Fund, Association for the Educational and Cultural Advancement of African People of South Africa.
Banning orders were also served on Beyers Naude and journalist Donald Woods.
This year the 14th Media Kidocracy (kid+democracy) Konfrence which runs from th 6th to the 10th October 2014, is taking place in a historic year for media in South Africa. Bush Radio is celebrating 21 years since its first illegal broadcast, and 19 years of legal broadcasting. The National Community Radio Forum (NCRF) is also celebrating 21 years of existence, Bush Radio played a pivotal role in the establishment of the NCRF.
As South Africans, we are celebrating 20 years of democracy, as a country we are slowly emerging from a violent apartheid past to a nation celebrating its freedom.
The theme for MKK2014 is “Celebrating 20 years of democracy: learning from the past and celebrating the future.”
One of the foundations of this democracy we have built is freedom of expression.
This right allows everyone, including youth, to express themselves, whether this is verbally, artistically, scientifically or in any other way. However, this right does not come without responsibilities and we need to look at how we use our hard fought for freedom.
Freedom of expression is entrenched in the Media Kidocracy Konfrence as it allows participants to express the issues they raise through their media productions.
* Several of Bush Radio’s programmes will be broadcasting live from the event, these are: The Breakfast Rush (6-9am), The Morning Cruise (9am – 12pm), Sakhisizwe (12 – 2pm) and Everyday People (4 – 7pm).
** MKK2014 takes places at Wortelgat situated on the blanks of the Kleinriver estuary so besides the intensive media programme and discussion sessions participants will also enjoy the picturesque fynbos as well as archery, abseiling, and hiking.
World Press Freedom day
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