Deputy Minister Kenny Morolong: 30th anniversary of Unitra Community Radio Station

Programme Director;

UCR FM Station Management and Staff; Presenters, Producers and Volunteers Government representatives;

Business and community partners; Traditional and religious leaders; Distinguished guests;

Ladies and gentlemen;

Good evening.

It is an honour to join you this evening as we celebrate

30 years of UCR FM, a station that has become an integral part of the social, cultural and developmental fabric of Mthatha, the O.R. Tambo District and the Eastern Cape as a whole.

UCR FM was born from the bold vision of the late Professor Tokollo Moleah, then Vice-Chancellor of the then University of Transkei, to create a platform for the voices of the people of this province to be heard.

What began as a modest campus initiative soon grew beyond the boundaries of the university.

Over three decades, UCR FM has evolved into a trusted and influential community broadcaster that has become a companion in their homes, taxis, workplaces and villages across the district.

The spark ignited 30 years ago has grown into a beacon reaching more than 450 000 listeners.

It connects communities, helps bridge divides and ensures that local voices remain at the heart of our public discourse.

Thirty years on air is no ordinary achievement.

The media industry has faced unprecedented financial pressures and community broadcasters across the country are themselves fighting for survival.

Declining advertising revenue, rising operational costs and the rapid transformation of the digital media landscape have placed enormous pressure on community media.

UCR FM’s story is therefore one of resilience, innovation and unwavering service to its community.

Its longevity is a testament to visionary leadership, dedicated staff and volunteers, loyal listeners and the enduring support of the communities it serves.

We believe that at the heart of this success is UCR FM’s distinctive programming model, which balances 60% talk with 40% music.

This ensures that entertainment is complemented by meaningful conversations about the issues that matter most to listeners.

In this way, UCR FM has become much more than a radio station.

It is a trusted source of information, a platform for dialogue and a catalyst for community development.

Over the years, it has informed, educated and empowered its listeners, connecting people across towns, villages and generations.

Another critical component of its success, and one which is at the heart of government’s efforts, is to ensure that citizens access information in languages they understand and trust.

Your multilingual programming in isiXhosa, English, Sesotho and isiZulu reflects the diversity of the communities you serves.

This people-centred approach has sustained the station’s growth in listenership while cementing its reputation as a broadcaster that listens as much as it speaks.

UCR FM gives this community a voice.

It creates space for local stories, concerns, achievements and aspirations to be heard.

In doing so, it has strengthened its role not only as a broadcaster but as a trusted institution that connects people and contributes to local development and social cohesion.

Ladies and gentlemen, UCR FM’s journey demonstrates that community radio remains one of the most powerful mediums of our communications landscape.

Community radio is a trusted space where communities inform, engage and organise themselves, and where citizens can contribute to the national conversation.

Government has long recognised the importance of a diverse, sustainable and accessible community media sector.

Through the Media Development and Diversity Agency (MDDA), we have made significant progress in broadening ownership, control and access to media, particularly among historically disadvantaged groups, marginalised cultural and language communities, and underserved rural areas.

Since its establishment, the MDDA has supported hundreds of community media initiatives across radio, television and print.

This support has strengthened governance, developed skills, improved infrastructure and promoted the long-term sustainability of community media.

It has helped communities tell their own stories, in their own languages and on their own terms.

We view community media as fundamental to our democracy because it creates a space for women, young people and other historically excluded groups to raise concerns and advocate for issues that directly affect their lives.

A strong community media sector also strengthens social cohesion and nation-building.

It creates a sense of belonging, brings people together around shared challenges and achievements, and provides platforms for community mobilisation and dialogue.

Its proximity to citizens enables community media to respond quickly and credibly to local realities, while ensuring that alternative perspectives are heard alongside dominant and mainstream narratives.

Government is therefore taking concrete steps not only to support community media development, but also to strengthen its financial sustainability.

The GCIS has finalised a Media Buying Policy that will give effect to the provision in the Government Communication Policy for 30% of government advertising expenditure to be allocated to community media.

This will help strengthen the financial sustainability of community radio, television and print platforms and enable them to continue serving the communities that depend on them.

We do not see community media as an optional extra to South Africa’s media landscape.

It is a critical partner in deepening democracy, expanding access to information, strengthening social cohesion and advancing development.

As government continues to communicate with citizens in the languages they speak and through platforms they trust, community broadcasters such as UCR FM will remain indispensable partners.

Programme Director, access to information is a cornerstone of a healthy democracy.

Community radio plays a vital role in reaching rural and underserved communities.

Before 1994, the voices of most South Africans, particularly those in marginalised and rural communities, were systematically silenced.

Our Constitution transformed this reality by guaranteeing freedom of expression, access to information, human dignity, and meaningful participation in public life.

Community media stands as a direct, practical expression of those constitutional rights.

The 30th anniversary of UCR FM coincides with our 30th anniversary celebration of our Constitution.

The foundation of our democracy, media freedom and a living symbol of the values for which generations struggled.

Stations like UCR FM transform these rights from words on paper into lived realities.

They provide ordinary citizens including women, youth, workers, and people with disabilities with a platform to shape their communities' future.

We believe in many ways, our community radio sector really is constitutional democracy at work.

Through its programming, UCR FM has enabled communities to access information, engage government, celebrate local culture, and strengthen the social compact envisioned by our Constitution.

We honour UCR FM for amplifying the voices of our people, and we recommit ourselves to building a South Africa where every community has a platform and the promise of our Constitution is fully realised.

This year also marks 50 years since the 1976 youth uprising, 70 years since the historic Women’s March of 1956, and 60 years since the forced removals from District Six.

These are not simply dates on a calendar.

They are milestones in the long journey of our people from apartheid oppression to a society founded on equality, dignity and human rights.

Throughout this year, South Africans are coming together to remember our history, honour those who carried us to freedom and renew the fundamental promise of our democracy.

This promise lies at the heart of the national Milestones of Freedom Campaign, launched by President Cyril Ramaphosa at the Union Buildings under the theme: “Honouring the Past. Delivering the Future.”

The campaign calls on all of us to protect the hard-won rights of our people and work together to build the just, equitable and prosperous South Africa envisioned in our Constitution.

It is also a call to strengthen service delivery, deepen social cohesion, expand opportunity and ensure that the gains of our democracy reach every community.

Over our democratic journey, millions of South Africans have gained access to housing, clean water, sanitation, electricity, healthcare, education and social protection.

Millions more have gained access to institutions of higher learning, while social grants have provided an essential safety net for the most vulnerable.

We have built democratic institutions that protect our rights, strengthened South Africa’s voice on the African continent and globally, and expanded opportunities for people who were deliberately excluded under apartheid.

Of course, significant challenges remain, including unemployment, poverty and inequality. But we must never lose sight of how far our country has come.

Distinguished guests, the true measure of UCR FM’s success lies not only in its longevity, but in the lives that it has touched and opportunities it has created.

Through its commitment to education, public awareness, cultural preservation and civic participation, the station has contributed meaningfully to the social and economic development of the region.

It has also created a platform for local artists, entrepreneurs, educators, faith-based organisations, traditional leaders, young people and community activists.

Few institutions demonstrate the transformative power of community media better than UCR FM.

The station has also served as a launchpad for talented communicators and media practitioners who have gone on to make their mark in the national media landscape.

Among its distinguished alumni are Sizwe Kupelo, former spokesperson for the Department of Health; Mthunzi Mhaga, former spokesperson for the NPA; Zintle Mbusi, presenter at Mhlobo Wenene FM; Monwabisi Bangi (Gudla), one of the country’s recognisable radio personalities; and news presenters Busi Zide and Baphilise Manduluka.

Their achievements form part of UCR FM’s enduring legacy.

Developing talent, opening doors and giving young people the confidence and opportunity to realise their potential.

As we celebrate this remarkable milestone tonight, we do so with immense gratitude to the visionaries who laid the foundation, the generations of broadcasters who carried the torch, and the loyal listeners who have made UCR FM part of their daily lives.

To the management, staff, volunteers, presenters, partners and listeners of UCR FM: thank you for 30 years of service, for enriching lives and empowering communities, and for ensuring that the voices of the people of the Eastern Cape continue to be heard.

May the next 30 years be even more impactful than the first.