Deputy Minister in The Presidency Kenny Morolong has urged Mams FM to continue placing young people at the centre of its programming and development initiatives.
This as he handed over upgraded, fully digitised broadcast studios to the community radio station in Mamelodi, City of Tshwane on Friday.
Facilitated by the Media Development and Diversity Agency (MDDA), the handover was aimed at strengthening community media, empowering local broadcasters and improving access to information at community level.
“Let this studio become a space where future broadcasters are trained, where young entrepreneurs share their ideas, where artists and creatives showcase their talents, and where the next generation of leaders find their voice,” Morolong said on Friday.
Morolong said the upgraded facilities would strengthen the station’s ability to continue supporting the next generation of broadcasters, content creators and entrepreneurs.
“For many young people, community radio serves as the first opportunity to enter the media and communications sector. It provides practical experience in broadcasting, journalism, production, digital content creation and technical operations,” Morolong said.
According to Morolong, the skills gained through community radio help prepare young people to participate meaningfully in the modern economy.
“Through volunteer programmes, internships and training opportunities, stations such as Mams FM become incubators of talent, helping young people gain practical experience that improves their employability and entrepreneurial prospects,” Morolong said.
He said the station was helping to lower barriers to entry into the creative industries, unlocking opportunities that contribute to skills development, economic participation and job creation.
“Through the installation of a modern on-air studio, a production studio and a power inverter system, the station has significantly improved its operational capacity and resilience.
“These upgrades will ensure greater reliability, better sound quality and uninterrupted broadcasting even during power disruptions,” the Deputy Minister said.
For listeners, Morolong said the upgrades will ensure continued access to quality programming.
“For the station, they enhance efficiency, sustainability and resilience. For the broader community, new production facilities also open opportunities for emerging artists, musicians, content creators and entrepreneurs to develop their talents using professional equipment,” Morolong said.
Since its launch in April 2011, Mams FM has grown into a trusted and influential community broadcaster, serving as a voice for the people of Mamelodi and the broader Tshwane region.
“Broadcasting on 92.9 FM, the station has built strong connections with its listeners through programming that reflects their realities, aspirations and lived experiences.
“By celebrating ‘Pitori’ culture, local languages, music and community life, MAMS FM has become a platform for information, dialogue, education, empowerment and the preservation of memory.
“This role is especially important because the history of townships has too often been narrated from the outside, reduced to hardship while overlooking resilience, creativity, leadership and triumph,” the Deputy Minister said.
Morolong said the station helps correct that imbalance by enabling Mamelodi to speak in its own voice.
“Through interviews, commemorations, youth programming, cultural content and community conversations, the station can keep alive the stories of those who resisted oppression, while opening space for today’s residents to imagine and define the future they seek.
“In this way, Mams FM is more than a broadcaster. It is a civic classroom, a cultural archive and a meeting place on air. It connects the liberation history of Mamelodi to the present pursuit of jobs, skills, safety, social cohesion and shared prosperity,” Morolong said.
He added that the station’s greatest strength lies in its ability to bring communities together.
“It provides a space where young people can find inspiration and opportunity, where adults can engage with issues affecting their daily lives, and where the wisdom and experiences of older generations continue to be valued.
In doing so, Mams FM helps strengthen social cohesion, bridge generational divides and fosters a shared sense of identity and belonging,” the Deputy Minister said. -SAnews.gov.za
