Raymond Silinga (31 January 1977 to 30 March 2023)
A tribute to Raymond Silinga by Bush Radio Programme Integrator, Adrian Louw
April is a significant month in South Africa – it is the month we mourn but also celebrate the life of one of the greatest leaders, Chris Hani.
Unfortunately, this time of the year will now also be a reminder of the loss of another leader who passed on to soon.
Raymond Silinga.
Raymond joined Bush Radio, Africa’s oldest community radio station project, as an intern in our newsroom in the late nineties – a time when we were still euphoric about the change that occurred in our country, and filled with hope, passion and energy for the potential of our new democracy.
He then grew from being a journalism student doing his practical from the Peninsula Technikon to be the head of our newsroom.
At Bush Radio every department is important but we felt, due to our history, that news was at the forefront of our newly earned democracy. We wanted to make sure that we hold the government and its institutions accountable to the people – one of its most important functions.
Bush Radio felt lucky in having Raymond, someone who understood the importance of this role of the media…and to make sure that we never…ever see the darkness of our terrible past again.
But luck had nothing to do with it… it was the struggle… the struggle, for our people to be free, to demand, and fight for the rights for all our people. Especially the rights of those who still suffer from the evil legacy of apartheid.
Raymond never called on his families’ struggle credentials to prove his worth – but the spirit and blood of Anne Silinga ran strong in his veins.
Raymond’s passion to hold officials accountable was visible in his passion for leading the team in covering our second democratic national elections. Even with his own strong political beliefs, he ensured that all political parties in Cape Town received fair coverage on Bush Radio.
Perhaps this was because he knew how fragile democracy is, or remembering the sacrifices of so many to achieve our liberation, he never took his role lightly.
We asked Raymond’s former news editor at Bush Radio, Juanita Williams, to share a memory of Raymond and of her time working with him: “His smile. Not something he did often while working, but it did the light-up-the-room thing. Also his no-nonsense attitude. We didn’t always agree, and debates were plentiful. I’m so sad that I won’t randomly run into him in town to see him flash that smile and hear his smooth voice. I’m so sorry that his career was cut short, he had so much to contribute.”
We also asked another of Raymond’s former colleagues, Berenice Joshua Moss, who is a journalist at the SABC to share her thoughts with us: “When I started my journey at Bush Radio in 2002, Raymond Silinga was my Editor and mentor in the news room. A smart dresser and always very precise. He was always straight to the point and you knew what was expected of you.
Raymond enabled me to follow my passion for court and crime reporting by allowing me to go on certain assignments. But made sure that I produced a story worthy of making it to air. Early morning diary meetings set the tone for the day and Raymond made sure we all understood what we needed to do. He was my first Editor in my journalism career. Thank you for the lessons learnt Raymond.
May you rest in peace and rise in glory.”
Raymond’s passion for politics and his willingness to debate created a newsroom that any journalist would have been proud to serve in – and his snazzy dress sense meant Bush Radio didn’t look too disheveled at public functions.
To those who knew Raymond, we share your sense of loss, but we think as Raymond knew… that our democracy is precious, that our futures are precious… that taking care of this fragile gift that our ancestors gave us can also be a burden… but it is something that must be protected, and we must remember who we are doing it for.
In radio training we always remind people that when you are in studio you need to imagine that you are talking to one person…at Bush Radio we also remind newcomers that we exist to make our people’s lives better – that we are here to serve.
When our previous managing director, the late Zane Ibrahim, ended our staff meetings, he would always remind people that they need to visualize Mrs Silinga in Langa — much to Raymond’s embarrassment — and would ask staff and volunteers: “Did you? At the end of your shift … make her life better?”
Raymond, you made our lives better– you always made sure that Mrs Silinga in Langa’s life was better at the end of your shift.
Video clip of Bush Radio streaming live in New YorkListen to the Bush Radio / WRHU broadcast
The broadcast consisted of a “Taste of Cape Town with Wayne McKay, Lerato Mashile and Mitchum George followed by the WRHU team interviewing a Bush Radio panel consisting of:
This year in the lead up to World Radio Day, Bush Radio was invited to participate in a broadcast with WRHU Radio Hofstra University 88.7 FM in the United States as part of their global celebration.
Join us this Friday, 12 February at 3pm as we take the Cape Flats to New York and beyond.
Wayne McKay, Lerato Mashile and Mitchum George will host a “Taste of Cape Town” and this will be followed by the WRHU team interviewing Bush Radio Alumni and discussing the power of community media, its role in Africa, challenges, innovative radio programming, training and the impact of the station in Africa and globally.
Trevor Davids – a media specialist, entrepreneur and Bush Radio volunteer engaged in developing radio programmes
Adrian Louw – Bush Radio Programme Integrator and media trainer
*Proclaimed in 2011 by the Member States of UNESCO, and adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 2012 as an International Day, February 13 became World Radio Day (WRD). This year WRD is divided into three subthemes:
Evolution – The world changes, radio evolves.
Innovation – The world changes, radio adapts and innovate.
9 August 1995 – South Africa’s first National Women’s Day – was chosen because we wanted to honour all the women who had been instrumental in giving rise to the community radio sector and establishing Bush Radio, in particular.
Listen to an audio documentary on Bush Radio and community radio
This year COVID19 has proven the importance of community media in helping the fight against the pandemic, by being a vital source of information and supporting the communities we serve through our programming.
Our events to celebrate 25 years of broadcasting were put on hold, but now we have an opportunity to reflect on how far we’ve and look towards the next – dare we say it – quarter of a century!
13 February is World Radio Day. A day we celebrate the power of radio in our lives. This year UNESCO’s theme for the day is “Dialogue, Tolerance and Peace”.
We thought it appropriate that we ask our listeners, supporters, trainees and everyone who has used the medium to send us whatsapp video clips (because community radio moves with the times).
We received clips from listeners, Alternative Radio, BBC, activists, media professionals, editors and artists. The range of the responses we received clearly shows that Bush Radio lives up to this year’s theme of “Dialogue, Tolerance and Peace”. More than just being one of the most sort after training radio stations, it truly is building bridges between the various communities we serve.
Bush Radio is non-profit community radio and has been offering broadcast and training facilities to the people of Cape Town for the past 23 years, since before our first legal broadcast on the 9th August 1995.
An example of training course conducted at Bush Radio in 1993
As we celebrate our 23rd birthday, we are running a pledge drive during our birthday month – from the 1 – 31 August 2018 – where YOU can make a donation towards our work.
Bush Radio newsroom trainees in 2005 (front Nadia Samie and Lunga Guza , back: Megan Paulse, Busi Mtabane and Bronwen Heather-Dyke
We call on former interns, staff, volunteers, board members, NGOs/CBOs, artists, musicians, designers and companies who have benefited from our broadcast and training services or who want to support our work, to contribute towards making a difference in the lives of others.
Through such donation, you will contribute to the continued existence of Bush Radio, and also make the opportunity available to others to benefit from Bush Radio’s services.
Our bank details are as follows:
Bank: Standard Bank Name of account: Bush Radio Training Account Account number: 07 119 4185 Branch name: Mowbray Branch code: 004909 Address: 37 – 39 Main Road, Mowbray, Cape Town, 7700 Swift code: SBZAZAJJ (for international donations)
If you would like a receipt for your donation, email the proof of payment to donate@bushradio.co.za
For more information please feel free to contact us on 021 448 5450
If you are a (small or large) business you may want to consider showing your support by taking out an advertising package on the station.
The tags below are just some of the names of individuals who have received training through the work of Bush Radio
Tutankhamun – His Tomb and the Treasures has meticulously reconstructed the famous tomb and the golden artifacts found by Howard Carter in November 1922, with the help of Cairo craftspeople who built more than a thousand exact replicas over five years.
AllAfrica’sJuanita Williams and Bush Radio’sShadreck Setti interviewed Dr Tarek El Awady, described as a “walking encyclopaedia” on ancient Egypt, about one of the most famous pharaohs, and seeing the “wonderful things” Carter spoke of, at the exhibition at Grandwest in Cape Town.
9 August 1995 – Former Programme Co-ordinator; Shamiel X Adams, the late Ralton Praah, former station manager, Farah Moosa (behind the mic) and Adrian Louw (as published in the Cape Times)
As we celebrate the 19th National Women’s Day in South Africa, Africa’s oldest community radio celebrates 19th year of broadcasting legally in a democratic South Africa.
Saturday at 2pm marks the time Bush Radio 89.5FM switched on with a license from the broadcasting authority. The first person on air was volunteer news co-ordinator, Juanita Williams (currently the managing director of AllAfrica Global Media) who read the first news bulletin followed by former station manager, Farah Moosa and a host of guests from various organisations.
______________________
______________________
______________________
______________________
______________________
______________________
______________________
______________________
______________________
______________________
______________________
______________________
______________________
Bushradio 89.5 FM 