Cape Town - Khayelitsha community-based station Radio Zibonele FM, which boasts as the leading community radio station in the country, is coming back on air following a two-month hiatus.
Zibonele FM was forced to return the transmitter and switch off its frequency by the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa) after the station failed to renew its licence.
In public, the station management was claiming to have complied with Icasa’s requirements but the Weekend Argus reported that the station admitted to Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies Khumbudzo Ntshavheni that they failed to comply.
The Weekend Argus also reported that Ntshavheni organised a meeting between the station and Icasa so that they could find an amicable solution.
Upon receiving the news of the closure of the station, there were pickets organised by different community structures and community engagements.
Radio Zibonele was only broadcasting online and via DStv. It became unavailable to thousands of listeners who only had radio and could not afford data to listen online.
Announcing its return, the station uploaded their new broadcasting license and said it was thrilled to announce its comeback on radio airwaves after switching off for a period of two months due to issues pertaining to its broadcasting license.
“The station will switch back on air on 1 September, 2022,” reads the statement.
“The station board views this as (a) great milestone that calls for community celebration, to that effect civil society bodies are invited to join a night vigil planned to take place on the 31st of August, 2022.”
The station apologised for the inconvenience caused in the two months and thanked the public for the support during the hiatus.
“We particularly want to thank the Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies for (the) guidance and leadership provided during the time of despondency. We further extend our appreciation to the regulator (Icasa) for handling the matter with great compassion and demonstrating the true sense of regulating in the best interest of the community.”
The closure also affected the station’s revenue but it is expected to bounce back as it enjoys overwhelming support not just in Khayelitsha but other parts of the country including the Eastern Cape.