The Oupa Matla Foundation is determined to have the current Motsweding FM station manager, Katlego Mokhele, removed and have popular radio veterans reinstated, amongst other issues.
These issues were raised in the memorandum submitted by the Oupa Matla Foundation last week Thursday, 28 March 2019.
The foundation held an audio link meeting yesterday, 2 April 2019, with the South African Broadcasting Cooperation (SABC) management regarding the current changes to the line-up at Motsweding FM, which saw Oshebeng Koonyaditswe, Essence Moumakwe, Goitsemodimo Seleka, Refilwe Madisa (producer) and others removed.
The memorandum was submitted to the regional manager of the SABC, who was told that the response should be furnished in 48 hours. The meeting was as a result of the protest led by the foundation.
The statement released after yesterday’s meeting states that the foundation posed a question to SABC Chief Operating Officer (COO), Chris Maroleng, to find out if there were leadership challenges at both Thobela FM and Motsweding FM. Maroleng did not directly answer the question asked, but rather stressed the importance of the presence of stakeholders such as Oupa Matla Foundation in the public broadcaster.
The foundation did not mince their words as they demanded the COO release Motsweding FM station manager, Katlego Mokhele, with immediate effect. The foundation also wanted to find out from the COO as to the feasibility of appointing a presenter who cannot converse in the language of broadcasting, which is Setswana in the case of Motsweding FM.
“As the foundation we remain hopeful that steady but surely we will resolve the unfortunate man-made problems at Motsweding FM. We also want to appeal to all those affected by mismanagement and to have full confidence in what we are doing,” the statement read.
Political Analysis South Africa has seen two emails inviting the foundation to a meeting between the SABC management and the foundation at the SABC offices in the North West province. The meeting will take place at 14:30 on Thursday, 4 April 2019. The public broadcaster, in their emails, promises to respond to the memorandum of the foundation on Thursday morning, before the sitting of the meeting.
Kenneth Mokgatlhe
k.mokgatlhe@politicalanalysis.co.za