To amplify the community's voice and let them be heard, 20 members from the Tshakhuma area came up with the idea to establish their own community radio station in the area.
Although Tshakhuma residents also have access to Phalaphala FM, they feel much is still not covered. "We want to give Tshakhuma residents a platform where they too can be heard. Our people are always complaining about service delivery and leaders can't always interact with the community personally, so the radio will be a good platform to address this. Tshakhuma also has a lot of talent, and we would like to use the radio station as a tool to give those young people an opportunity to explore their talents. Further, the older members of the community can use this platform to educate the young about our area, while the police and businesspeople can use it to inform residents about criminal activities and to sell their products respectively," said Joel Mulaudzi, the radio station's secretary.
The Tshakhuma Community Radio Station is already registered with the Department of Social Development, but they are still waiting for it to be registered with the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA). "We are still waiting for ICASA to open applications for registering. As soon as they do, we can apply for a radio frequency," Mulaudzi said.
In the meantime, the station runs online (https://tshakhumacommunityradiostation.co.za), with music being played during the day. Last week, they also started an evening chat show on the same link from 19:00 to 21:00.
In the first week of July, the team will occupy their offices at the TD NewLook Building, along the R524 Road in Tshakhuma. However, they are still looking for studio equipment such as desktops, microphone tables, studio speakers, headsets and any other related equipment used to run a radio station. Anyone who can help with donations can contact Mulaudzi on 066 285 1181 or 071 358 7421.
Visit the station's Facebook page (Tshakhuma Community Radio Station), or Instagram (@tshakhumacommunityradio) to stay informed.