Deputy Minister Kenny Morolong: Studio equipment handover – Pheli FM
Keynote address by Hon. Kenny Morolong, MP Deputy Minister in the Presidency on the occasion of the studio equipment handover – Pheli FM 04 September 2026, Pretoria, South Africa
Programme Director,
Members of the Board and management of Pheli FM,
Management of the Media Development and
Diversity Agency,
Members of the community of Atteridgeville,
Community leaders, traditional and religious leaders,
Distinguished guests,
Ladies and gentlemen,
It is an honour to join the community of Atteridgeville today as we hand over this new broadcasting studio to Pheli FM.
Today’s occasion is about investing in a voice that truly belongs to this community.
It is a voice that speaks to residents, reflects their views and listens to their needs.
The story of Pheli FM is in many ways the story of Atteridgeville itself.
A community rich in history, vibrant in culture, and unwavering in its resilience.
Time and again, this township has demonstrated remarkable determination and creativity in building a better future for its residents.
Since its establishment in 2015, Pheli FM has touched countless lives, offered hope, and served as a trusted companion.
Celebrating 10 years on air this past December is no small feat; it is indeed a testament to the station’s fortitude in an ever increasingly tough media landscape.
The secret to the station’s longevity lies in its commitment to the true ethos of community radio.
Pheli FM is deeply embedded in the daily life of the people it serves.
It knows the heartbeat of local schools, the small businesses, the community organisations, religious centres, sports clubs and the young people in this community actively searching for opportunities.
This connection is reflected in the station’s core mission to inform, educate, and entertain.
By boldly incorporating “Sepitori” alongside Sepedi, Setswana, isiZulu, and English, Pheli FM has crafted an identity that is uniquely Atteridgeville.
Its commitment to the community goes far beyond broadcasting which is demonstrated by its collaboration with residents to document the history of Atteridgeville.
This project highlights just how intertwined the station’s identity is with the people themselves.
Programme Director
When a community has a platform to speak and engage on, it gains the power to find its own solutions.
Like so many townships across our country, Atteridgeville continues to wrestle with deep-seated challenges of crime, unemployment, poverty, and limited opportunities which are all direct consequences of the legacy of apartheid.
We must remember that this township was deliberately designed by the apartheid regime under the Group Areas Act as a segregated dormitory settlement.
It was systematically sidelined through state-sanctioned underinvestment that starved its people of quality infrastructure, proper healthcare, and adequate educational facilities.
To overcome this history, we need media platforms that do not merely broadcast what is wrong but actively illuminate what can be done.
We need platforms that connect people directly to opportunities, inspire young talent, strengthen social cohesion, and remind all South Africans that alongside our struggles, extraordinary stories of courage, achievement, and progress unfold every day.
Pheli FM has chosen not to stand on the sidelines, but to stand with this community as part of the solution.
You have embraced your mandate to inform, educate, and entertain by actively countering the weight of history by cultivating a culture of skills development and hope.
By opening your doors to train local youth as presenters, producers, and technicians, you are placing real tools for growth directly into the hands of the community.
I am certain that when a young person walks through the doors of this station, they do not just see a microphone they see a gateway to confidence, a pathway to a career, and a stage for their dreams.
This is the profound contribution of community media.
It transforms listeners into leaders, turns stories into movement, and proves that when a community holds the mic, it holds the power to shape its own destiny.
The importance of community media in South Africa cannot be overstated.
While our Constitution guarantees a free press, a healthy democracy requires far more than national newspapers and commercial broadcasters.
It requires that ordinary citizens have accessible platforms to speak, debate, question, and be heard.
Community radio brings democracy straight to the doorstep of the people. It creates a local forum to discuss daily issues, demand
accountability, and access life-altering information from education and healthcare to employment, safety, and municipal services.
In a nation as diverse as ours, we know that one size does not fit all.
Our townships have distinct histories, languages, and priorities.
Community media ensures we communicate in ways that are directly relevant to the people on the ground.
Therefore, community media for our nation is not a luxury but rather a democratic necessity.
It ensures that civic participation is not just spoken off but lived on the streets of Atteridgeville.
True freedom means local communities telling their own stories in their own languages.
Without stations like Pheli FM, the vital voices of ordinary residents risk being drowned out by massive commercial media entities.
Government understands that passion alone cannot sustain community media in an environment where it must compete with commercial players, navigate changing audience habits and keep pace with rapid technological development.
This is why the work of the Media Development and Diversity Agency (MDDA) is so important.
Established in terms of the Media Development and Diversity Agency Act 14 of 2002, the MDDA has a legislative mandate to promote media development and diversity, redress the exclusion and marginalisation of historically disadvantaged communities, and expand ownership, access, skills and participation in the media sector.
Its support extends beyond financial assistance to include infrastructure development, training, governance and capacity-building, research and other forms of technical support.
These interventions help community and small commercial media develop stronger and more sustainable operations.
Through this work, the MDDA is helping to build a more diverse and inclusive media landscape in which communities have the capacity to tell their own stories, communicate in their own languages, reflect their lived realities and participate meaningfully in South Africa’s democratic discourse.
We have demonstrated this right here at Pheli FM which has secured MDDA funding in 2017, 2020, and 2022.
In this current cycle, the government approved an investment of over R2 million.
This includes R1.9 million dedicated to this state-of-theart studio infrastructure, alongside key operational support of R144,000 for rent and R45,000 for insurance.
Our investment ensure the station can stand shoulderto- shoulder with peers such as Poort FM, Mams FM,TUT FM, Tshwane FM, Tuks FM, and Ga-Rankuwa FM.
With Pheli FM’s broadcast license secured until July 2031, it can continue its work in creating an impactful future for this community.
This new studio gives the station the ultimate launchpad to elevate community voices, nurture local talent, and serve Atteridgeville for years to come.
Today, as we hand over a studio with the latest technology and equipment, we are placing a powerful vehicle for opportunity directly into the hands of Atteridgeville residents.
This studio is a launchpad for local talent, skills development, and fearless journalism, giving our youth a platform to choose purpose over crime and ensuring our community can tell its own story in its own voice.
Let these new microphones, mixers, and sound booths be used to unearth the next generation of media giants and further uplift and ensure progress to this community.
It is my privilege to officially hand over the new Pheli FM studios.
May your signal grow stronger.
Thank you.
#GovZAUpdates
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