The Free State Provincial Government, together with Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality, will hold a compliance workshop for community radio stations at the Civic Theatre in Bloemfontein from 10:00 this morning.
According to Tumi Mogoera, Chief Executive Officer of the National Community Radio Week (NCRW), says “This is mainly a governance and compliance workshop and in the first part of the workshop, companies and members of community radio stations can expect to find input by the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA), the South African Revenue Services (SARS) and Sentech, to name but a few.”
Mogoera says the second leg of the workshop will allow community radio station employees one-on-one sessions with the stakeholders present. He also says the importance of these workshops is to iron out issues present in many of the province’s community radio stations to help them function better.
The workshop forms part of a two-day event, the first of which launched the National Community Radio Week and sought to raise awareness of the cause, which will take place next year from 13 to 18 February. The first day and launch of the week was held on Thursday at The Edge Restaurant at Naval Hill and focused on the importance of developing community radio as a tool for social reform and a catalyst for change.
At the event launch held on Thursday, Mangaung municipality spokesperson, Qondile Khedama said: “Community Radio is a catalyst for creating an informed society, particularly because it talks directly to the people of a certain area. It is for the very reason that Mangaung Metro Municipality has come on board to further develop the quality of community radio as an important sector”.
This initiative by The Thoughts Pty Ltd, a popular hangout in Batho was launched in 2016. Since then, it has gained momentum in the Free State as well as other provinces in the country, and the Free State government is a provincial partner thereof. – Pulane Choane
