ICASA PROPOSES A LIFELINE FOR SOUTHSIDE FM RADIO

(SOUTHSIDE OFFICIALS WITH ICASA CEO, MR PAKEMILE PONGWANA, AND THE GENERAL MANAGER OF LICENCING, MR NORMAN GIDI, AT THE OFFICES OF MR LOGAN NAIDOO IN MUSGRAVE ROAD, DURBAN, WHERE THE MEETING WAS HELD ON FRIDAY, MARCH 10) BY SUBRY GOVENDER The Independent Communications Authority of South Africa(ICASA) is to investigate three alternatives in order to help Southside FM Radio overcome its long, drawn-out struggles to obtain a FM frequency to get off the ground. The alternatives were proposed at a meeting between senior ICASA officials, CEO Mr Pakemile Pongwana, and Dr Norman Gidi, General Manager: Licencing, and Southside officials in Durban on Friday (March 10). The alternatives are: i). ICASA will once again investigate the possibility of Southside being granted Radio 2 000 frequency at the Bluff in Durban. ii). ICASA will initiate negotiations with DSTV for Southside to start broadcasting through one of DSTV’s channels. ICASA would investigate assistance being given to Southside to use DSTV. iii). ICASA would investigate the possibility of Southside starting to broadcast on Medium Wave. In view of the costs involved, Sentech would be asked to waive its fees for at least two years to allow South Africa to launch its radio station.

(MR RICHARD GOVENDER, KZN TAMIL FEDERATION PRESIDENT, MR DEVA POONOOSAMY, AND MR RICHARD NAIDOO, DEPUTY CHAIRPERSON AND SENIOR OFFICIAL OF THE ANDHRAHA MAHA SABHA OF SOUTH AFRICA) The latest meeting between ICASA and Southside was the direct result of a meeting that Southside officials held with the former Premier of KwaZulu-Natal and current Treasurer General of the ruling ANC, Dr Zweli Mkhize, in Durban on February 11. At this meeting, Dr Mkhize had stated that Southside was not only the project of South Africa’s community of South Indian-origin, but also his own project because he was the Premier of KZN when Southside was mooted in 2010. He also said Southside was mooted at a time when he was involved in participating in the celebrations to observe the 150th anniversary of the arrival of Indian indentured labourers (slaves) to South Africa. Dr Mkhize told the Southside officials that it was unacceptable that they had to struggle for a frequency for nearly seven years. He then initiated a process for top Ministers and ICASA to intervene in order to assist Southside to launch its radio station.

(MR DENNIS NAIDOO TALKING TO ICASA GENERAL MANAGER OF LICENCING, MR NORMAN GIDI) The meeting with Dr Mkhize and the ICASA officials had been initiated following the intervention by one of Southside’s benefactors, Mr Deva Ponnoosamy, who is based in London. Mr Poonoosamy had arrived in South Africa early in January to visit family members and to attend the 105th anniversary celebrations of the ANC. Mr Poonoosamy was present at the meeting with the ICASA officials last Friday. He joined Mrs Sally Padaychie, chairperson of Southside; Mr Richard Naidoo, deputy president and a senior official of the Andhra Maha Sabha of South Africa; Mr Richard Govender, committee member, president of the KwaZulu-Natal Tamil Federation and senior official of the SA Tamil Federation; Deputy Treasurer, Mr Denis Naidoo; and secretary, Mr Marimuthu Subramoney.

(SOUTHSIDE CHAIRPERSON, MRS SALLY PADAYCHIE, WITH ICASA CEO, MR PAKEMILE PONGWANA)

(MR SWAMINATHAN GOUNDEN)

Two senior officials - Mr Balan Govender, deputy president, and Mr Swaminathan Gounden, were unable to attend due to prior commitments. Both Mr Pongwana and Dr Gidi told Southside officials at the meeting on Friday that ICASA had over the past seven years did everything in its power to help it to launch but this was thwarted by the lack of an FM frequency. “We have supported Southside from inception and our officials, including the late former chairperson, Dr Stephen Ncube, had attempted to provide Southside with a frequency,” said Dr Gidi. “The former chairperson of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Communications, Mr Eric Kholwane, had held several meetings with Southside and had even convened a meeting of all role players to help Southside. “We even tried to get the SABC to release the Radio 2 000 frequency at the Bluff but the investigations indicated that this would affect the transmission to Radio 2 000 listeners. There were also attempts to get Durban Youth Radio to share its frequency with Southside but this had not been successful because DYR have their own licence,” he said. Mr Pongwana said the latest proposals were further attempts to help Southside to get off the ground. “We will do everything on our part to help Southside with the new proposals,” he said. Mr Pongwana said an ICASA official would be appointed to liaise with Southside about the three proposals. He said although there should be no time line, the proposals put forward should be ironed out within a period of two months. “Let’s be positive that a solution will be found soon.” Mrs Padaychie and the other Southside officials informed the ICASA officials that the South Indian-origin community had been given the run-around for far too long and that a solution should be found soonest. “Southside commits itself to playing a progressive role in our new, non-racial and democratic order and for the promotion of a peaceful, productive and cohesive society,” said Mrs Padaychie. “One of the progressive roles would be the teaching of IsiZulu among our listeners in KZN,” she said. Soutside FM Radio was initiated in 2010 at a time when people of Indian-origin in South Africa were commemorating the arrival of indentured labourers in 1860. Despite being granted a broadcast licence in September 2011, Southside had been thwarted by the lack of an FM frequency. Southside’s prospective listeners are situated in and around Durban, North Coast, South Coast, Pietermaritzburg, northern KZN towns such as Ladysmith, Estcourt, Newcastle and Dundee; Pretoria-Johannesburg region; Cape Town; and Port Elizabeth-East London. Ends – subrygovender@gmail.com