8 to 10 pm on Mondays on Bush Radio is dedicated to informing and educating road users of every kind, keeping you entertained with anecdotes, quips, and insights into what makes biking popular in the Mother City and beyond.
Join our guests from the world of motorcycling – Meet Individuals, adventurers, activists, motorcycle clubs, deserving charities, and causes, bringing you their very special stories and experiences.
Join discussions on the day-to-day issues that bug you as we unpack topics of relevance to road users and bikers in particular.
Music provided by several resident DJs on rotation keeps the atmosphere light and upbeat, while professional road safety advice and information, traffic law insights and discussions around defensive riding practice keep us safe while having fun.
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.
Bush Radio, Africa’s oldest community radio station project is in the process of renewing its broadcast and frequency spectrum license.
As part of this process we would like all our listeners, supporters, community organisations and clients to sign a petition to show their support for the application.
Almost 30 years after Bush Radio went on air to defy the apartheid government’s control of the airwaves, staff, volunteers and interns had the opportunity to host one of the first volunteers at the community radio station, Mervyn Swartz.
A representative of the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) in the 1990s, Swartz can be seen in the Bush Radio Partial Eclipse documentary, and trained with “networkers” (the former term for Bush Radio volunteers) and partner organisations to establish community radio in South Africa and help free the airwaves from the apartheid government’s control. Originally an engineer, Swartz went on to serve as the director for Cosatu’s Campaign for Democratic Communications (CDC) in Johannesburg.
He was interviewed for a new documentary on the impact of community media, and Bush Radio grabbed the opportunity for new interns to meet him, and hear about his experiences in the early 1990s.
Bush Radio is constantly welcoming fledgling media disruptors and active citizens to the station, and listening to how the station was repeatedly denied a broadcast license by the repressive state, but still went on to broadcast without one, showed how important history is to the present day.
In line with the Bush Radio philosophy of “Don’t curse the darkness, light a candle”, the station has been hard at work looking for the resources to ensure that we remain on air during load shedding.
In 2018 the station installed a UPS system, but the constant load shedding led to the batteries degrading to such a point that the station would only remain on air for 20 minutes when the power went out at its studio in Salt River.
This past weekend the Bush Radio team guided AB Technical Solution installed and tested an auto-start diesel generator system which will allow us to stay broadcasting during load shedding.
As much as the new system relieves the immediate need for the station to remain broadcasting, it is not the final step. We would like to have a more environmentally and economic solution to power the entire station (the newsroom and administration). To this end we are looking for partners who could assist in taking the station to the next level, perhaps exploring a solar power solution and make sure that the “Mother of Community Radio in Africa” keeps bringing light to the airwaves and online with its dynamic programming and social upliftment projects.
Lihle Mbikwana from Bulungula Community Radio in the Eastern Cape got to spend some time at the station to learn more about the operations of Bush Radio.
Providing listeners in Cape Town and globally, with interesting and varied content is one part of the work done by Bush Radio.
As the oldest community radio station project in Africa, and known as the “Mother of Community Radio” we assist other community radio stations and organisations in navigating the media landscape and providing training.
* This is NOT a call for DJs, music show presenters or newsreaders *
Are you:
Interested in developing news that matters to the Cape Flats?
Curious, adventurous, always looking for a story, willing to hunt down a source, energetic?
Able to speak, write and read in English & Afrikaans or Xhosa?
Willing to explore new frontiers in media?
Able to work hard in a challenging environment?
Would you like to learn how to:
Record sound, conduct interviews, compile bulletins, read bulletins, take pictures, record video, cover events and test your skills LIVE to a listening and online audience of over 375 000 people.
Develop what it means to be journalist in a changing news environment?
If your answer to the above is yes, then a volunteer news trainee position in the Bush Radio newsroom is for you. (Download application form)
Things to pay attention to:
You will be required full-time with shifts (06h00 – 14h00 and 10h00 –18h00) – 5 days a week, including weekend and public holiday shifts.
You must be available to start immediately.
You will not receive payment! This is a full-time trainee position at Africa’s leading community radio station.
Transport allowance of R1500 per month for 3 months (probation).
Students attending class should not apply.
Candidates must be computer literate.
Candidates must be Cape Town based.
Understand, write and read English and one other language (Afrikaans or Xhosa)
Shortlisted candidates will be put through a combination interview, written test (for computer skills, language, general knowledge) and a voice test at a specified date.
In the subject line write: (name) and (surname) – Newsroom trainee November 2022
Email completed application form to news2022@bushradio.co.za
Application deadline: 27 November 2022 (no late applications will be considered)
Bush Radio reserves the right not to make an appointment – Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted – No correspondence will be entered into. If you have not been contacted within one week of the closing date you should consider your application unsuccessful.
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Bushradio 89.5 FM 