Residents elect radio council at Lephalale FM Radio
Francina/Lephelale,Limpopo/020917
Lephalale FM Radio Council Meeting Arrangements.
All residents of Lephalale are members of the radio represented in the radio council through representative and representatives of civil society organisations within Lephalale. All wards will be represented in the radio council. On the 18th August we have announced that a special AGM of the radio council will be held on the 9th September 2017.
The Radio council is the highest decision making gathering of the Lephalale FM Radio. Its resolutions are final. Everyone is invited to come and take part in the open discussion on burning issues but special privileges will be granted to delegates of the Radio council. The radio council is made up of two (2) delegates from all 38 villages and representatives of the civil society organisations within Lephalale area. Please note that people wearing political party regalia will not be allowed in the council hall.
Meeting arrangements are as follows :
Date : 09 September 2017
VENUE : Thabo Mbeki Community Hall
Time : 13: 00
Transport will be available.
Save Lephalale FM campaign statement
After lengthy deliberations the Forum of Forums with all civil society organisations and Traditional council on Save Lephalale FM campaign we have agreed that the Board of Lephalale FM is no longer a legitimate board, the board must be dissolved but we have afforded them the opportunity to resign before the board is formally dissolved. It was agreed that the board was and is dysfunctional and ill governed, neglecting its legal obligation to control and manage the broadcasting license in terms of the broadcasting act. As Save LFM campaign we belief that Lephalale FM board seriously failed to perform the fundamental obligations as the board as provided by law and should therefore be dissolved. On the 9th September 2017 a special Radio Council AGM made up by representatives from all 38 villages/13 wards in Lephalale, Traditional Councils and civil society organisations will convene to dissolve the board and elect an interim board/task team which will which will temporarily oversee and engage with the authority. Invitations for this critical special AGM have been extended to ICASA, NCRF, Municipality and Lephalale stakeholders forum.
The meeting on the 9TH September is called in line with Lephalale FM constitution section 7.4 read with section 7.5 which states and outline the grounds for disqualification and removal of board of directors. In terms of the broadcasting Act no 4 of 1999 section 32 subsection (2) and (3) read with the independent broadcasting Authority Act 153 of the 1993 chapter 2 section 10 subsection (1) which states that the renewal of the broadcasting licence may be made to the authority not earlier than six (6) months and not later than Three (3) months before the date on which it expires by virtue of the provision of section 38 of the Act. Section 32 (2) and (3), subsection (2) states that the licence of a community broadcasting services must be held by a licence, subsection (3) states that the licence referred to in subsection (2) must be Managed and Controlled by the board which must be democratically elected from the members of the community in the licenced geographic area.
We note that it was primarily the responsibility of the board to oversee the renewal the licence, as of result of these incompetence, negligence and dysfunctional board, the licence was not renewed. The public must not that it was not only the license that expired, here are some of the documents that expired :
• SARS tax clearance certificate expired on 11th October 2016
• Insurance cancelled in December 2016 because contract expired in 2015
• SENTECH also expired
• SAMRO is in arrears
• NPO certificate to be re- registered with CIPC
This shows that before the radio was suspended it was unable to do business to sustain itself because NO LEGAL DOCUMENTS, NO BUSINESS OPERATIONS. Lephalale FM could not get money from GCIS for airing 2017 February State of the Nation Address as known as SONA because the expiry Tax Clearance Certificate.
This non compliance let to ICASA asking the radio to cease broadcasting on the on the 27th March 2017. As the Save LFM campaign we are aware that there is a rumour of a political element in our campaign. We would like to assure the community that there is no political element or political influence in the campaign. The community must not be misled. The campaign is led by community activists and civil society organisations. No political party is allowed to take part in this campaign. Again we want to make it clear that this campaign is not a witch-hunts. We are not behind certain individuals but collective illegitimate board that failed the community.
Statements issued by Forum of Forum
Programme : Save Lephalale FM Campaign
Enquiries :
Mochosa SL : 0815832833 / 0788380868 WhatsApp
Save Lephalale FM campaign coordinator
