By More Matshediso
Bloemfontein - Communications Minister Faith Muthambi says community broadcasters and the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) each have a different role to play in the media arena.
The Minister said community radio stations were established with a clear mandate of broadcasting content that is relevant to their communities.
She said this prior to discussions with communicators and media in Bloemfontein, at an outreach sectoral Imbizo on Friday.
“Community media belongs to the community. They have got a mandate to empower citizens with information about stories that happen within their vicinities, unlike reporting stories from far away cities,” Minister Muthambi said.
The Minister urged the SABC and municipalities to show support to local broadcasters.
“Our plan as government is to have a community radio in all municipalities, where programmes like ‘know your councillor’ can be produced, to inform the public about municipal plans. That way, people will stay informed about government plans,” Minister Muthambi said.
Minister Muthambi said community media had managed to play its role, but there were few challenges that need to be addressed.
“One thing that is lacking is the support to our community media. As government we established the Media Development and Diversity Agency (MDDA) for that purpose (to support local media),” the Minister said.
She added that government, through the Department of Communications, intends to train managers of community media on how to account for public funds, amongst other management issues.
The outreach sectoral Imbizo forms part of the Minister’s stakeholder engagement sessions that she has been held in various provinces across South Africa. - SAnews.gov.za
