What are Human Rights?

According to the United Nations, Human Rights are defined as:

“rights inherent to all human beings, regardless of race, sex, nationality, ethnicity, language, religion, or any other status.”

Do you know your human rights?

Check out the illustrated version of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights

Ensure we never have another “Black Wednesday” #mediafreedom

The media in South Africa commemorates 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.

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 is an edited version of a blog post which was published 19/10/2018

Related:

Basic protective measures against the Novel #Coronavirus – click here

Official websites for accurate information regarding COVID19:

COVID-19 Corona Virus South African Resource Portal

Regulations and Guidelines – Coronavirus Covid-19

World Health Organisation

Western Cape Government Health Department

You can now download the official Bush Radio app on Google Play.

Spread the word #worldpressfreedomday

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.

Related stories

Is the news important to you? #worldpressfreedomday #pressfreedom #WPFD18

The 3rd of May is World Press Freedom day.

We asked some of our listeners if news is important to them.

Join the conversation! Send us more comments on sms 32158 / whatsapp 0832973910 / Instagram / Twitter.  #worldpressfreedomday #pressfreedom #WPFD18

Essa Moosa – Always ready to fight the good fight

We are saddened by the loss of Judge Essa Moosa who had served as Bush Radio trustee and mentor at the formal establishment of the station in the early 1990s. Judge Moosa helped ensure that Bush Radio became the pioneering community radio station it is today and that the voice of all communities are heard.

Even though Judge Moosa was no longer a trustee of the station, he followed developments in the media and the station closely, and was a regular on-air guest to highlight the challenges faced by the Kurds through his work with the Kurdish Human Rights Action Group.

His lessons of dignity, self-pride, searching for knowledge and fighting for the rights of all are values we cherish and strive to maintain and pass on to all the young people who are now part of the station.

The above clip is from the Bush Radio documentary Partial Eclipse. Judge Essa Moosa confronts officials from the apartheid regime Post Office, police and security Special Branch as they raid Bush Radio offices in 1993 to confiscate and charge members of the station for broadcasting illegally.

Judge Essa Moosa passed away in Cape Town on February 26, 2017.

We salute you

A brief biography of Essa Moosa*

Judge Essa Moosa was born on 8 February 1936 in District Six, Cape Town. He qualified as an Attorney-at Law and was admitted to practice by the High Court of the Supreme Court, Cape Town on 1 June 1962. He practised as an Attorney in Cape Town until December 1997 and in 1998 was appointed as a judge of the High Court of the Supreme Court in Cape Town, officially retiring on 8 February 2011. He has six siblings, is married and continues to live in Cape Town.

Specialising in human rights issues for almost 40 years, he challenged, in court violations of basic human rights such as detention without trial, freedom of expression, freedom of movement, security and emergency legislations and regulations. During this time he acted for a number of prominent non-governmental organisations, community based organisations, leading political and community activists. In 2012 the University of the Western Cape conferred an Honorary Doctorate in law on him in recognition of his contribution in the field of human rights.

He was a founding and executive member of the National Association of Democratic Lawyers and chaired its Human Rights Committee. He was a member of the Constitutional Committee of the African National Congress (ANC), which gave logistical support to the ANC negotiation team for the establishment of a democratic, non-racial and non-sexist South Africa. He also served as the Provincial Election Agent for the ANC in the region of the Western Cape for the first democratic elections in April 1994.

In addition he serves in a voluntary position as trustee of the University of the Western Cape, a position he has held for more than 20 years. He has also served as the Chairperson of the Council of the Peninsula Technicon and later as a member of the Council until the merger of the institute with the Cape Technicon. He was a founding member and trustee of the community based media initiatives including; Bush Radio, Grassroots Publications, Saamstaan Newspaper (Southern Cape) and South Newspaper.

*Source: International Peace and Reconciliation Initiative

Related:

Hamba Kahle Vincent Kolbe

Johnny Issel: Everything that was noble in the Struggle

Bush Radio mourns, Professor William T. McClain (1923-2011)

Listen to your heart – remembering Zane Ibrahim

Support World Press Freedom Day 2015

Young people taking charge of media (MKK 2012)

After intense planning and a busy week the 12th Annual Media Kidocracy Konfrence (MKK2012) came to an end on Friday, the 14th of December 2012.

About 80 youth delegates (aged 12 – 21) drawn from all over the country, SADC and as far away as Northern Ireland attended MKK.

Below are the “products” which showcase how the young people interpreted the various themes outlined for this year. For a large percentage of the delegates this was the first time they had been directly involved in the production of media. A strong element of all the MKK conferences have been linking a practical implementation of ideas generated in the various intensive panel discussions and workshop groups.

This year’s theme was Youth Participation in Democracy, with sub-themes being:

• Youth Rights and Civic Participation – Human Rights
• Economic Freedom – Labour
• My Body, My Choice – Health
• Express Yourself – Arts and Culture
• Who am I – Gender
• My Future World – Environment

Bush Radio would like to thank our partners; the Media Development and Diversity Agency (MDDA) and the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung – Media (FES Media) for their support as well as The British Council, Media24, Mara Media, CVET, GCIS, Public Acheivement, Samantha Reinders, MAK1 and Netdynamix.

Graffiti

Television

Photography

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Radio (right click and open)

Mini-dramas:

• Act our age – Wear the right clothes
• Listen to our mother
• Dress properly for interviews
• You are what you wear

VOX POP

• Body Art

PSA

• Underage drinking

Online

Newspaper and Cartoon

(NB: 29 MB, right click and save as)

Related:

12th Media Kidocracy Konference kicks off

 

What are they doing now? – (Foreign interns)

We contacted a few of our former foreign interns to give us an update on what they have been up to after they left Bush Radio. (click on the picture below to see their stories)

If you would like more information on Bush Radio’s Foreign intern programme click here.

MKK 2009 presents a bright future

Putting MKK 2009 together was not without its challenges, like others we too have suffered due to the economic meltdown.

 We are proud to say that the 10th Media Kidocracy Konference (MKK 2009) which ran from the 14th to the 18th December 2009 was a resounding success.

On the final day the young delegates (12 – 18 years old) presented their productions in a four hour closing ceremony which included video, online, graffiti and radio presentations.

 The closing ceremony also included performances by young Capetonian talent such as Shaz & B, Apple and Cinnamon and Grand Alliance.

The photographers have captured the contrast between the beauty of our natural landscape and the filth that soils it.

The television group challenged us to re-examine our so-called natural ways of being as men and women with respect to violence within the home.

The graffiti group showed through their piece that although we may differ linguistically and/or culturally, we can live in harmony.

The online and radio groups have spread the word that violence is not and never will be an option, be it violence inflicted by others through forced child labour or self-inflicted violence in the form of substance abuse.

WATCH THE ONLINE GROUP’S POWERPOINT PRESENTATION (CLICK HERE)

LISTEN TO THE RADIO GROUP’S FEATURE (CLICK HERE)

Together these products send a resounding message that states that their vision for tomorrow is one in which they wish not to live in fear and is filled with hope.

We would like to thank the following individuals and organizations for their assistance through advice and contributions in making this conference a success:

St Agnes Primary School and in particular the principal Mr. Alfonso Louw and caretaker Mr. Marsh.

Mr. Darion Pillay from Woolworths Financial Services

Mr Neil John Smith from John Smith Photography and Design

Mr. Brad Hale from Wild Organic Foods

Superfoto Canal Walk

Shoprite Woodstock

Ms. Lache Woldson from MTN

Trevor Muller from The Indibano Group

Loaded Smoothies

MAK1

We would also like to thank:

Elroy Williams for logistical support

Brenda Leonard and Belinda Sepkit from Bush Radio’s admin department who made the lunches

All the production facilitators and content facilitators.

The guest speakers who joined us on the first day of the conference, especially Ms Jennifer Hartnick from the Provincial Parliament whose kind and gentle words set a good tone for the conference.

We would also like to thank our delegates who joined us from as far a-field as Northern Ireland (Public Achievement) and Canada (Canada World Youth).