SOUTHSIDE FM RADIO ASKS ICASA FOR DEFINITE DATE AS TO WHEN IT WILL BE GRANTED A FREQUENCY

The Board of Governors of Southside FM Radio in Durban, South Africa, have asked the government agency, ICASA, in a latest communication on April 12 (2019) to state clearly when the radio station would be granted a frequency. The Board took the latest move after ICASA stated in a letter to Southside on April 2 (2019) that the Durban area was “highly congested” and no frequencies were available. This is the letter that ICASA had sent to Southside: ICASA Independent Communications Authority of South Africa 350 Witch-Hazel Avenue, Eco Point Office Park Eco Park, Centurion. Private Bag X10, Highveld Park 0169 Telephone number: (012) 568 3000/1 SM Spectrum Licensing Tel: +27 12 568 3285 Fax: +27 12 568 3286 Email: pmolefe@icasa.org.za Ref: 001/Southside/April/19 Mr Subry Govender 59 Musgrave Road, Durban (NPO No: 089 - 426) Per email: subrygovender@gmail.com Dear Mr Govender Re: Southside FM Radio 1. We refer to the meeting between Southside FM and Independent Communications Authority of South Africa ("the Authority") held on 23 January 2019. 2. The Authority reiterated that Durban area is highly congested and frequencies are not available. The Authority has spent a considerable amount of time and effort in attempts to identify any usable frequencies. Several correspondences were exchanged between Southside FM and the Authority relating to non availability of spectrum in the Durban area. 3. Southside FM requested the Authority to investigate the feasibility of identifying a frequency in the Phoenix area for use by Southside FM; and 4. In continued efforts to assist Southside FM to have access to a frequency, the Authority acceded to Southside FM's request. Dr. K Modimoeng (Acting Chairperson), N Gongxeka-Seopa, P Kadi, P Mashile, BC Mokhele, Adv. D Qocha, T Semane, PJ Zimri (Councillors), WA Ngwepe (CEO) em 5. After thorough technical analysis by the Authority, Southside FM is advised as follows: 6. The frequency scan was performed around Phoenix area to search for the feasible frequency to use; 7. The frequency scan results indicated that there is no available frequency in the area as all the frequencies from 87.5 to 108 MHz are currently in use. 8. The frequency of 105.4 MHz was further analysed for feasibility because it was the only frequency that had the lowest receivable signal strength as per the frequency scan results. 9. Further analysis performed was that of the interference. The interference analysis results showed that the 105.4 MHz will cause interference to the licensed broadcasters. 10. All efforts to secure an interference free frequency have been exhausted. We hope that you find the above in order. Yours sincerely, P Molefe Philemon Molefe Senior Manager Spectrum Licensing Date: 02,04 / 2019 ICASA sent the above letter to Southside after Southside had written to ICASA and asked whether ICASA had identified any frequencies in Phoenix, Verulam and the North Coast. This was raised by Southside during a meeting with ICASA at its headquarters in Centurion, Pretoria, on January 23 (2019). In response to ICASA’s latest letter of April 2, Southside submitted the following letter to ICASA. Southside wanted to know exactly when a frequency would be granted to Southside. SOUTHSIDE FM RADIO (NPO No: 089 - 426) 59 Musgrave Road, Durban Tel: 082 376 9053/ 031 - 568 13009 email: subrygovender@gmail.com Asst. Secretary: (vasanthakokilam.naidoo@gmail.com) Mr Philemon Molefe Senior Manager: Spectrum Licensing ICASA Centurion Pretoria Dear Mr Molefe We wish to kindly and great-fully acknowledge receipt of your letter dated April 2 2019. Your letter was in response to our meeting held at your head offices in Centurion on January 23 2019 about the urgent need for a frequency for us to launch our much-needed cultural radio station. Southside has been patiently waiting for a frequency for nearly nine years. In view of the contents of your April 2 letter, we would kindly appreciate you informing us as to exactly when we would be granted a frequency. This information is of utmost importance to us as we have been told by your CEO, Mr Willington Ngwepe, and other ICASA and government officials that a frequency would only become available in our target areas once the digital migration programme is completed. Please let us know whether this will be at the end of 2019 or 2020. Once again we want to thank you sincerely for going the extra mile in trying to assist Southside to obtain a frequency. We are hopeful that this frequency will become available at the soonest possible date. Meanwhile, we wish to kindly inquire whether there are any further action that Southside must pursue in its goal to establish our radio station. Many thanks and kind regards. Subry Govender Secretary 082 376 9053 Board of Governors: Ms Sally Padaychie (chairperson), Mr Balan Gounder (deputy chairperson), Mr Richard Naidoo (deputy chairperson), Mr Deven Moodley (treasurer), Mr Denis Naidoo (deputy treasurer), Ms V. Naidoo (assistant secretary), Mr Logan Naidoo, Mr Swaminathan Gounden, Mr Sumeshen Moodley, Mr Richard Govender, Ms Roxanne Gounden, Mr Mari Ramaya-Pillay (Johannesburg), Dr M Sooboo (Pretoria), Dr Dilly Naidoo, Mr Kiru Naidoo (PRO) and Mr Subry Govender (Secretary).

THOUSANDS OF INDIAN-ORIGIN SOUTH AFRICANS ONCE AGAIN ATTEND TEMPLES DURING THE EASTER FRIDAY AND THE REST OF THE EASTER WEEKEND

(DEVOTEES AT THE TEMPLE IN MIDRAND, JOHANNESBURG) Thousands of Indian-origin South Africans once again flocked to temples on Easter Friday to partake in Kavady ceremonies and offer prayers in yet another show of their commitment to spiritual upliftment. I attended a Kavady ceremony at the Madhya Kailash Temple in Midrand, Johannesburg, where more than 150 devotees participated in the four hour service.

(KAVADY DEVOTEES AT THE TEMPLE IN MIDRAND) I noticed that while the Kavady ceremony was in progress, other people visited the temple to offer their prayers on Easter Friday. Similarly, thousands of people swarmed other temples in the Johannesburg-Pretoria region; at Mount Edgecombe, Isipingo and other temples in KwaZulu-Natal. This phenomenon of Indian-origin South Africans visiting temples on Easter Friday and the rest of the Easter weekend has its origins in the early days of our indentured ancestors. When the white overlords and bosses used to attend church services at Easter, our forefathers and mothers were given the free time from the sugar cane fields. Our ancestors used this free time to attend prayer services at their little wood and iron temples all along the north and south coasts of the then Natal Colony. Then when they built huge temples in the early 1900s, our ancestors began a tradition to congregate in their thousands, especially at Isipingo and Mount Edgecombe. During this period, it had become a must for Indian-origin South Africans not only to visit and offer their prayers at Mount Edgecombe and Isipingo in their tens of thousands, but also to attend the Tamil and Hindi concerts and dramas. It used to be both a spiritual and joyous occasion for the people. Since the dawn of our democracy in 1994, when large numbers of people moved down to the Johannesburg-Pretoria region to advance their socio-economic situations, the numbers visiting Isipingo has dwindled down. The large turn out of devotees at the Madhya Kailash Temple in Midrand and other temples in the Johannesburg-Pretoria during the Easter weekend is a clear indication of the increased numbers of Indian-origin South Africans now located here.

(DEVOTEES AT THE MIDRAND TEMPLE) But the visitors to Mount Edgecombe Shri Mariammen Temple has increased in numbers and today more than 250 000 people visit the religious site annually. The tradition of the turn out of the people during the Easter weekend is just yet another example of the enormous contribution that our ancestors have made to the spiritual and cultural upliftment of Indian-origin South Africans. ends - subrygovender@gmail.com

JUBY MAYET – ONE OF THE DOYENS OF SA’s JOURNALISM WORLD WHO CONTRIBUTED ENORMOUSLY TO THE FREEDOM STRUGGLES

(JUBY MAYET (ON THE RIGHT WITH HER LEFT HAND HELD HIGH) IS WITH ZWELIKE SISULU AND OTHER JOURNALIST COLLEAGUES WHO PARTICIPATED IN A PROTEST MARCH IN CENTRAL JOHANNESBURG CALLING ON THE SOUTH AFRICAN APARTHEID GOVERNMENT TO LIFT THE BAN ON THE UNION OF BLACK JOURNALISTS(UBJ) FOLLOWING THE BANNING OF THE UBJ ON OCT 19 1978) By Subry Govender One of the doyens of South Africa’s journalism world who made an enormous contribution against apartheid oppression and minority domination has passed on at her home in Lenasia, Johannesburg, at the age of 82. Ms Juby Mayet, who not only fought for media freedom but also for the freedom of all South Africans, passed away in the early hours of Saturday, April 13.

(Juby Mayet with Philip Mthimkulu after being elected deputy secretary of UBJ in 1976. THE UBJ WAS ESTABLISHED AFTER THE SOWETO UPRISINGS OF JUNE 1976) I was informed of Juby’s passing by another doyen of our media activist world in the 1970s and 1980s, Philip Mthimkulu. Philip and I worked very closely with Juby in the establishment of the Union of Black Journalists (UBJ) after the Soweto uprisings in June 1976, and the Writers Association of SA (WASA). WASA was established after the UBJ was banned on October 19 1977 along with no less than 18 other black consciousness and progressive organisations.

(JUBY MAYET DURING HER YOUNGER DAYS IN 1976) The bannings were carried out by the then so-called Minister of Justice, Jimmy Kruger. Kruger was the Minister who had a month earlier described the murder of Steve Biko in police custody as “it leaves me cold”. Juby, who was born in Johannesburg in 1937 in a Muslim family, started her journalist career with the former Golden City Post in 1957. She qualified as a teacher at the insistence of her parents but chose the journalist world because of her consciousness against the social-political situation at that time. Some of the well-known journalists she worked with at the Golden City Post included Joe Thloloe, Can Themba, Henry Nxumalo, Nat Nakasa and Todd Matshikiza. After the Soweto uprisings in June 1976, Juby joined Joe Thloloe, Rashid Seria, Nat Serache, Isaac Moroe, Duma Ndlovu, Mateu Nonyane, Mona Badela, Don Mattera, Enoch Duma, Mike Norton, Mathatha Tseudu, Zwelike Sisulu, this correspondent and several others in establishing the Union of Black Journalists(UBJ) to contribute to the struggles against oppression and minority domination. The launch of the UBJ took place in Soweto soon after the Soweto uprisings after Juby and all the other “struggle journalists” felt that the real issues affecting the majority of the people were not being reflected accurately in the media at that time and to the outside world. Juby and her colleagues decided to join the struggle because they realised that they could not operate in isolation from the rest of the South African society.

(JUBY MAYET-THIRD FROM LEF - WITH RASHID SERIA, MIKE NORTON, CHARLES NQAKULA, SUBRY GOVENDER AND PHILIP MTHIMKULU AT THE SECOND UBJ MEETING HELD AT THE WENTWORTH HOTEL IN DURBAN IN JULY 1977.THREE MONTHS LATER THE UBJ WAS BANNED ALONG WITH 18 OTHER BLACK AND PROGRESSIVE ORGANISATIONS ON OCT 19 1977) She fully endorsed one of our colleagues at that time, Ameen Akhalwaya, who wrote in 1981: “Black journalists do not view themselves as isolated, neutral units. They see themselves as being an integral part of their societies. “Liberation from the bondage of apartheid is what blacks desire and to reflect this does not make propogandists of journalists.” Just a year after the founding of the UBJ, Juby and her colleagues found themselves in a state of limbo when the UBJ was banned along with several other organisations in October 1977. She did not take the banning of the UBJ lying down. She joined Zwelike Sisulu and other colleagues in a protest march through the streets of Johannesburg. They called on the apartheid authorities to lift the ban on UBJ. But the apartheid regime showed no mercy. The security police continued with their oppressive actions to harass and hound Juby, Joe Thloloe, Zwelike Sisulu, Charles Nqakula, Rashid Seria, Mona Badela, this correspondent and a number of other colleagues. Juby was detained for more than three months while Joe Thloloe and Zwelike Sisulu were held incommunicado for more than a year. After she was released, Juby worked with Philip Mthimkulu to launch the Voice newspaper in Johannesburg. They were supported by the South African Council of Churches. But no sooner had she settled down to promote the freedom struggles through the Voice newspaper, she was served with a five-year banning order in December 1978.

(JUBY MAYET WITH JOURNALIST COLLEAGUES OUTSIDE THE WENTWORTH HOTEL IN DURBAN WHERE THE UBJ HELD ITS SECOND MEETING IN JULY 1977) The oppressive actions of the security police did not deter Juby, who supported Zwelike Sisulu and the rest of her colleagues in the launch of the Writers Association of SA (WASA) in Cape Town while in the background. After the dawn of our democracy in April 1994, Juby continued with her writings and has been recognised for her contributions during the struggle years by the South African Editors Forum. She was also bestowed with the Steve Biko International Peace Award by the Umtapo Centre in 2013. Juby Mayet was a dynamite at a time when black women journalists were few and far between. We, her colleagues in the struggles for a free, non-racial and democratic South Africa, will remember her for her forthrightness, bravery, and her determination to promote the cause of the marginalised and the downtrodden – whatever their colour, race or gender. Juby Mayet never succumbed to the oppressive forces at that time and she also spoke out against excesses after the advent of our new South Africa. Rashid Seria, one of the struggle journalists during the 1970s and 1980s who also played a major role in the establishment of the UBJ and WASA, paid this tribute to Juby: "Juby Mayet was a true media martyr who dedicated her life to the struggles for a free press in this country. She was part of a unique breed of black journalists of the 1970s and 1980s who fearlessly resisted the apartheid regime in media, often in the face of detentions, house arrests and bannings. They took the fight to expose apartheid atrocities to numerous fronts. They challenged internal censorship at English establishment newspapers, started journalist movements to indoctrinate writers politically about the situation in the country, launched independent publications to shamelessly glorify the battles for freedom and designed creative schemes on how media could be used to organize people. That special group that Juby epitomized may be surpassed by a newer breed of investigative writers - a non-racial one - that so effectively continues to expose corruption, patronage, public thieving, misrule and state abuse. We owe all of them a great debt of gratitude!" Ends – subrygovender@gmail.com April 15 2019

SOUTH AFRICANS OF INDIAN-ORIGIN - STATE OF UNCERTAINITY 25 YEARS INTO THE NEW "DEMOCRATIC AND NON-RACIAL SOUTH AFRICA".

"SOUTH AFRICAN INDIAN HERITAGE SOCIETY" AT A TIME WHEN SOUTH AFRICA IS PREPARING FOR THE SIXTH DEMOCRATIC ELECTIONS SINCE THE FIRST DEMOCRATIC ELECTIONS IN 1994, MANY, MANY , MANY SOUTH AFRICANS OF INDIAN-ORIGIN ARE UNCERTAIN ABOUT WHO TO VOTE FOR. THIS DESPITE THE FACT THAT THE PEOPLE OF INDIAN-ORIGIN HAD PLAYED A MAJOR ROLE IN THE STRUGGLES FOR FREEDOM IN SOUTH AFRICA. UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF THE NATAL INDIAN CONGRESS, THE TRANSVAAL INDIAN CONGRESS AND THE SOUTH AFRICAN INDIAN CONGRESS, THE MASSES OF THE PEOPLE OF INDIAN-ORIGIN WORKED WITH THE AFRICAN NATIONAL CONGRESS, THE COMMUNIST PARTY AND OTHER DEMOCRATIC ORGANISATIONS TO BRING ABOUT A NEW NON-RACIAL AND DEMOCRATIC SOUTH AFRICA IN APRIL 1994. BUT TODAY, 25 YEARS AFTER THE ESTABLISHMENT OF OUR NEW DEMOCRACY, MANY MANY MANY OF THE PEOPLE BELIEVE THAT NONE OF THE POLITICAL PARTIES, INCLUDING THE ANC, DO NOT PROVIDE THEM WITH HOPE AND CONFIDENCE. THIS DESPITE THE FACT THAT IN 1994 THE ANC HAD REACHED AN AGREEMENT WITH THE NATAL INDIAN CONGRESS THAT THE ANC WOULD BE THE HOME OF ALL THE PEOPLE, INCLUDING THE PEOPLE OF INDIAN-ORIGIN. IN VIEW OF THIS AGREEMENT, THE NATAL INDIAN CONGRESS WAS ALLOWED TO DISAPPEAR FROM THE SOCIO-POLITICAL SCENE WITHOUT ACTUALLY BEING DISBANDED.

NOW WHEN SOUTH AFRICA IS PREPARING FOR THE ELECTIONS, THERE HAVE BEEN CALLS FOR THE NATAL INDIAN CONGRESS TO BE REVIVED AS A VOICE OF THE PEOPLE. BUT MANY OF THE VETERAN LEADERS HAVE NOT TAKEN UP THE PLEAS OF THE PEOPLE. IN VIEW OF THIS, A NEW GROUP, CALLED THE "SOUTH AFRICAN INDIAN HERITAGE SOCIETY" IS BEING INITIATED AS A LOBBY GROUP FOR THE PEOPLE OF INDIAN-ORIGIN. MANY OF THE ACTIVISTS WHO ARE BEHIND THIS NEW INITIATIVE ARE BASED IN PRETORIA, JOHANNESBURG, DURBAN, CHATSWORTH AND PHOENIX. IN A MEMO TO THE PUBLIC AT LARGE THE ACTIVISTS SAY THEIR AIM IS: "OUR AIM IS TO CREATE A PLATFORM FOR COLLECTIVELY QUALIFYING THE GRIEVANCES OF SOUTH AFRICANS OF INDIAN-ORIGIN AND ACT AS A SINGLE VOICE TO ADDRESS THESE GRIEVANCES ON A POLITICAL PLATFORM. "WE INTEND TO DRIVE THE COLLECTIVE COMMUNITY NEEDS AHEAD OF PERSONAL POLITICAL ASPIRATIONS AND GOALS, THEREBY PROVIDING A PLATFORM FOR THE MINORITY INDIAN COMMUNITY."

IN VIEW OF THIS LATEST MOVE BY SOME OF THE CONCERNED PEOPLE, I WOULD LIKE TO PUBLISH THIS RADIO DOCUMENTARY THAT I COMPILED IN 2008 AT A TIME WHEN THE RULING ANC WAS PREPARING FOR ITS NATIONAL ELECTIVE CONFERENCE IN POLOKWANE, NORTH OF PRETORIA. IT WAS AT THIS CONFERENCE THAT PRESIDENT THABO MBEKI WAS THROWN OUT OF OFFICE AND JACOB ZUMA WAS ELECTED AS PRESIDENT OF THE ANC AND LATER AS PRESIDENT OF THE COUNTRY. ZUMA WAS OUSTED JUST OVER A YEAR AGO AFTER MANY OF THE ANC LEADERS REBELLED AGAINST HIM. THIS RADIO FEATURE WILL PROVIDE CONTENT TO THE SITUATION IN WHICH PEOPLE OF INDIAN-ORIGIN FIND THEMSELVES TODAY. THE PEOPLE SAY THEY DON'T HAVE LEADERS OF THE CALIBRE OF DR YUSUF DADOO, DR MONTY NAICKER, DR KESAVAL GOONUM, PROFESSOR FATIMA MEER, ISMAIL MEER AND OTHER LEADERS WHO SACRIFICED THEIR LIVES FROM THE EARLY 1930s TO THE 1990s.