EVENT: LAUNCH OF ZULULAND COMMUNITY RADIO STATION AND ICT CENTRE
VENUE: ULUNDI SPORTS GROUND
DATE: 21 JANUARY 2008
Programme Director (Mr Sipho Shabalala)
CEO of the Media Development and Diversity Agency, Mr. Lumko Mtimde,
Regional Manager of the SABC, Mr Zakes Dube
Regional Head of Sentech, Mr Teddy Mtshali
Representatives from Telkom and USSASA
Head of Department of Economic Development; Ms Carol Coetze
Traditional Leaders present,
Distinguished guests;
Members of the media present
Ladies and gentlemen,
Good morning
It is with great pleasure to be here with you this morning. I have waited many months for the opportunity to come and celebrate with you the launch of Zululand Community Radio station and the Information, Communication and Technology Hub.
We have come to salute men and women who have worked tirelessly to ensure that the community of Zululand has a voice. I was amazed and encouraged to see the extent to which the community participated in the mobilisation process leading towards the submission of the license application and the presentation before the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA).
I know that this was not an easy task considering that you had to rely on volunteers, and quite notable, the same volunteers had to provide seed money to get this station off the ground. Your perseverance and commitment has brought us together.
15 years of democracy and liberalisation of airwaves
The liberalisation of the broadcasting industry in South Africa is one of the less publicized but direct outcomes of the democratic elected government. Before the new dispensation, community radio was virtually unknown in South Africa. By the end of 1999 there were already sixty-five community radio stations broadcasting to communities in rural, semi-urban and urban areas across the country.
To date there are approximately more than 122 community radio stations in the country, with KwaZulu-Natal boasting more than 15.
Before South Africa's transition to democracy in 1994, the apartheid government won global notoriety for controlling the airwaves and harassing anyone who sought to provide a different view using the state-owned broadcaster.
With the current government, through ICASA, we've ensured that there is a diversity of views in the media by granting broadcasting licenses to independent commercial radio stations as well as public and community radio stations. Some of these stations cater for languages that were previously marginalised. In addition, media freedom is constitutionally guaranteed. These are the crucial ingredients for a healthy democracy that we fought for.
No media house can claim to face threats from this government. Instead the biggest threat to media freedom is the commercialisation of the newsroom. This commercialization has led to the marginalisation of the interests of the poor. To guard against this, marginalized communities must be empowered to articulate their views.
Community radio stations are recognized as one of the best ways to reach marginalised communities because they bridge the information gap between the literate and the illiterate. By nature, community radio stations puts decision making in the hands of the local community. This translocation of power enables communities to express their own ideas and opinions. Individual community members are able to define developmental goals and collaborate to attain them.
Section 1 of ICASA Act defines a “community broadcasting services” as broadcasting service which -
- is fully controlled by a non-profit entity and for non-profitable purpose
- Service a particular community
- Encourages members of the community served by it to participate in the selection and provision of programmes to be broadcast in the course of such broadcasting service
Clearly, through this radio station the community of Zululand District is now well placed to take a position of leadership on issues of social-economic development, which is indeed an imperative for the nation.
Now you have a tool that you can use to articulate your aspirations. You have a tool that you can use to shape your own destiny. Quite critically, you can achieve that by ensuring that programming in the station is geared towards:-
- Encouraging a healthy society,
- promoting, protecting and restoring our culture and heritage,
- fighting social ills such as teenage pregnancy, HIV/Aids and crime,
- Encouraging education and entrepreneurship,
- Encouraging dialogue and healthy debate,
- Inculcating the culture of respect and “Ubuntu”.
Government's role in creating a “Knowledge Society”
At the same time we should recognize that this radio station has a number of sustainability challenges that need to be addressed before we can be assured of appropriate and positive outcomes. We are fully aware that some of the challenges that pose a serious threat to the sustainability of this radio station will be the generation of revenue and adequate training of staff.
It is for this reason that as the provincial government, through the Department of Economic Development, we have offered to assist by providing resources. This is in line with the Provincial Strategy and Action Plan which is aimed at rolling out digital community hubs throughout the province. Also, we are grateful that representatives from the Media Development and Diversity Agency are here to assure the community of their ongoing support to this noble project.
We cannot overemphasise the importance of this radio station considering that you are all aware that, as a result of the legacy of apartheid, many previously disadvantaged communities still don't have access to broadcasting and telecommunication services.
A recent World Bank study showed that 50% of information and communication technology services in Africa are concentrated in urban areas, even though less than 30% of the continent's population live in urban areas. Here in South Africa, according to Statistics South Africa, up to 43 million people in this country are living without access to technology.
This government inherited a system which stills shows unbelievable imbalances in access to telecommunication services. Throughout government's interaction with communities especially in rural areas through Izimbizos, we handled dozens of complaints from young people and women. These complaints are about inadequate access to telecommunication and broadcasting services:-
- communities have tv sets but cannot to watch SABC channels
- there is poor, sometimes, no network coverage - (Vodacom, MTN, Cell C)
What does this mean?
It simple means that we are running a risk of opening up a huge gap between information haves and have not. Access to telecommunication and broadcasting services is not only for the personal development but it is a tool for economic development.
The new modes of economic production are increasingly dependent on knowledge and information technology. Knowledge and informationalism has become central to globalization and to development.
Today we are gathered here to reaffirm government's commitment to creating a knowledge society that will participate in the economy within the global village. The Information, Communication and Technology Hub which we have launched alongside the station will assist the community in making use of new digital technologies to improve radio programming and gathering of news. Computers will be used for digital production and for programme distribution. The internet will be useful for research.
In order to achieve our goal of universal access to telecommunication services we will continue to finance the ICT infrastructure in collaboration with Universal Services Agency of SA (USSASA), Telkom and the Post Office. Plans are underway to open digital hubs in the following municipalities: - Ilembe, Vryheid and Uthukela.
Generally, the total ICT spend of provincial government is expected to increase from R3.4 billion from 2007 to R3.9 billion in 2010/11 at a compound annual growth rate of 4.3%. Local government ICT expenditure is also set to increase, from R2.2 billion in 2007/08 to R2.5 billion in 2010/11.
Community participation and healthy democracy
The potential of this community radio station to contribute to the province's growth and development is greater than ever.
There is an opportunity for the community to actively participate directly in the following:-
- Fight poverty and hunger: station to encourage communities to be involved in agriculture and farming to ensure food security.
- More jobs: station to promote cooperatives to ensure that communities create job opportunities.
- Access to quality education for all: Station driven back-to-school campaign to ensure that all children that are eligible to learn, do go to school. Also, campaigns aimed at promoting adult education in order to eradicate illiteracy
- Health care for all: Station to promote healthy lifestyle. This should include involvement in community based HIV/Aids awareness campaigns. The station should mobilise the community to provide support to those affected and infected by HIV/Aids.
- Build safer and secure communities: The station must champion crime awareness campaigns to ensure safer communities.
Conclusion,
The launch of this community radio has been facilitated by significant partnership and collaboration among different groups which are present here today including the local municipality.
There is no doubt that all of us here, we have the duty to give communities the opportunities to determine who should govern and under which principles, freedom to evaluate and criticize authorities, freedom of expression, right to dialogue, to oppose, to criticize, to vote, to choose among political parties, to be involved in Legislative and Executive elections.
Thank you.
