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.
Bush Radio is giving you and your partner the chance to attend both days of the 2018 Cape Town International Jazz Festival happening at the CTICC on the 23rd and 24th of March.
We are giving away a set of double passes to 2 lucky listeners.
To enter this lucky draw SMS the keyword: JAZZ + your name and surname to 32158. (You will receive a sms confirming your entry)
Each double weekend pass is valued at over R2500.
The SMS line will close at 10am on Friday 23 March and the winners will be announced after 11am during the Morning Cruise. * You will need to collect your tickets by 2pm Friday if you are a winner with positive identification.*
Enter as often as you like to improve your chances.
Tonight at 8pm on Connected 2 Jazz on Bush Radio 89.5FM we celebrate another centenary: that of innovative trumpeter and bandleader Dizzy Gillespie, who, with Monk, Charlie Parker and a few others, was responsible for introducing bebop into jazz.
Thelonious Sphere Monk was born 100 years ago today. This bebop pioneer, who wrote some of the most memorable compositions in jazz, was a true original – as a person, as a pianist, as a composer.
In CONNECTED 2 JAZZ on Bush Radio 89.5fm tonight (Tuesday, 10 October 2017) at 8pm, Nigel Vermaas will profile this great musician.
On CONNECTED 2 JAZZ on Tuesday night at 8pm, 30th October, Nigel Vermaas will be devoting his whole show to singer Erika Lundi, whose excellent cd ERIKA LUNDI, FROM CAPE TOWN has been released on the Jazz Potjie label.
Erika sings jazz, rock, funk, soul, you name it, and has a great voice and a wonderful ear. “She should be far better known than she is”, says Nigel.
Erika will talk about her early days here and outside the country, and the crazy nature of “the jazz life”. Although she is intensely focussed on her music, Erika also loves to laugh – often at her own expense. “And she seems entirely without ego”, adds Nigel.
Her friend Michele Maxwell (well-known singer, pianist & actress) shares her insights about Erika, as does keyboard player and Jazz Potjie Producer Andreas Wellmann.
This two-hour-long feature will, of course, include lots of music, mainly Erika singing with musicians of the calibre of Mac McKenzie, George Werner, Hilton Schilder, James Kibby, Wesley Rustin, Andreas himself and many more, but there’ll also be a few tracks from U.S. artists who’ve influenced or mentored her, such as Nancy Wilson, Dizzy Gillespie and Kenny Barron.
“Whether she’s talking to you or singing, Erika really knows how to tell a story”, says Nigel, “and I know she’ll make this edition of CONNECTED 2 JAZZ a very special one.”
On the 13th December 2011 at 8pm on Connected 2 Jazz ((13 December 2011 at 8pm), Nigel Vermaas will be paying tribute to the late Zim Ngqawana (25 December 1959 – 10 May 2011).
On CONNECTED 2 JAZZ on Tuesday night 4 October at 8 o’clock, Bush Radio 89.5fm will be celebrating the life and music of the late Basil Moses – bassist supreme – who passed away on 5 June, having suffered many strokes as a result of cancer.
You’ll hear Basil in duo, trio and quartet settings as well as a larger ensemble. You also hear the insights and memories of Basil’s brothers, Eddie and Cliffie, as well as those of Dave Ledbetter, Sathima Bea Benjamin, Gavin Minter, Hilton Schilder, Andreas Wellmann, William Rezant, Emily Bruce, Paul Sedres, Theo Lawrence and Cliff Wallis. Excerpts from Basil’s funeral service at St Marks Church in Athlone on 10th June will also be included in the two-hour tribute.
If you’re a MY KINDA JAZZ fan, the bad news is that Nigel Vermaas’s show ends on 30 April after 5 years of bringing you his personal selection from 8 to 10 on a Saturday night.
The good news is that he’s back on Tuesday 3 May with CONNECTED 2 JAZZ. The time stays the same, 8 – 10 p.m..
“The airwaves are a bit overloaded with jazz on Saturday nights”, says Nigel, “with very little through the week. CONNECTED 2 JAZZ will change that. As the name implies, it’s a show that makes connections: connections with jazz itself, connections with those who play jazz, connections with music that has some relation to jazz but is not necessarily what the purists would classify as jazz, and many other connections, from comparing genres to finding surprising similarities.”
Nigel has been presenting jazz and other music shows on radio for over 30 years and he’s interviewed many prominent jazz musicians, including Abdullah Ibrahim, Cassandra Wilson, Abbey Lincoln, Kesivan Naidoo, Hotep Idris Galeta, Jason Moran, George Duke, Johnny Fourie, Archie Shepp, Courtney Pine, Charles Lloyd and Toots Thielemans. He’s made countless documentaries on jazz, focusing on the Cape Town International Jazz Festival over last 12 years. He’s also compiled in-depth tributes to a number of our late jazz musicians, including Robbie Jansen and Alex van Heerden.
Be CONNECTED 2 JAZZ on Tuesday nights on Bush Radio 89.5 from 3 May from 8 p.m. till 10 p.m.
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