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

Sign to support our 2023 License Renewal #BushRadio

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.

You can sign the form online.

Thank you for your support.

Related: Disrupting the media and saluting our roots

Saying good-bye and hello to Cape Town

Jonah Lieberman and Alena Powell from the USA concluded their internship at Bush Radio. Watch what they had to say about being at the station and in Cape Town. Benjamin Fougeret and Alban Papin from France have joined the station recently and will be on air from Saturday.

@bushradio895fm

Jonah Lieberman and Alena Powell from the #USA concluded their internship today at BushRadio. Watch what they had to say about being at the station and in #CapeTown #internship #learning #southafrica #media

♬ original sound – BushRadio

@bushradio895fm

Join Alban Papin and Benjamin Fougeret our French interns for their programme “French Touch” starting this Saturday on #BushRadio from 1pm to 3pm. #SouthAfrica #France

♬ original sound – BushRadio –

International Women’s Day 2023

This #IWD2023 we call for a more inclusive world online:

#PowerOn to give women and girls equal access to technology!

#PowerOn to end technology-facilitated violence against women and girls!

#PowerOn to close the digital gender gap!

Are you with us?

Disrupting the media and saluting our roots

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.

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Bringing (radio) power to the people

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.

@bushradio895fm

When you know it is going to be #Fridaypsydayon #BushRadio and you don’t have to worry about #loadshedding @mr.meyer05

♬ original sound – BushRadio

We keep going as a nation #southafrica

For a long period of time now we as South Africans have been facing a challenges that seem overwhelming and relentless. Loadshedding, the economy, COVID 19 and many other hardships.

The Bush Radio team went out to collect messages of inspiration from Capetonians to their fellow citizens.

We would like you to remain positive, embrace the challenges and remember it is ok to ask for help or assistance.

SADAG (South African Depression and Anxiety Group) – 0800 567 567

LifeLine South Africa National Counselling Line: 0861 322 322

Gender Violence Helpline – 0800 150 150

AIDS Helpline – 0800 012 322

Department of Social Development Substance Abuse Helpline – 0800 121 314

Always be recording

Bush Radio volunteer, trainer and mentor Nigel Vermaas was spending some time in the Eastern Cape and ran into Rachel and Siya Kolisi.

He grabbed the opportunity to get Bush Radio an exclusive interview with the couple just after it had been announced that South Africa’s 2019 Rugby World Cup-winning captain would be joining a new club in France.

You can catch Nigel swopping his rugby boots for the best in jazz with Connected 2 Jazz every Tuesday from 8pm till 10pm on Bush Radio 89.5FM or online.

Listen to the interview with Rachel and Siya Kolisi:

Push Forward #16days

Over the next three weeks, the Bush Radio – Sakhisizwe team will be doing a series of outside broadcasts from various organisations that work hard to combat gender based violence and provide support to the communities they serve. Tune into Bush Radio daily for the broadcasts and how you can support their work as we bring the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence into focus.

The organisations Bush Radio will be broadcasting from:

• Sisters Incorporated
• Athlone District Advice Office
• Gender Dynamix
• Whole World Women Association
• Mitchells Plain Network Opposing Abuse
• NACOSA
• Mitchells Plain Advice Office
• Molo Songololo
• Rape Crisis
• Sonke Gender Justice
• Triangle Project
• Langa For Men
• Women’s Legal Centre
• Malihambe Women Outreach

Supporting community radio

Lihle Mbikwana of BCR (right) with Brenda Leonard

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.