Community radio breakthrough for rural Port St Johns

THE rural town of Port St Johns (PSJ), better known for attracting movie makers and tourists in recent years due to its scenic beauty and untamed beaches, now has its own community radio station.

Sajonisi Youth Radio (SYR) went on air for the first time on the 88.5 megahertz (MHz) frequency last Thursday.

It broadcasts throughout the municipal area and also covers Lusikisiki, Mbizana, Flagstaff, Ngqeleni, Mthatha, Coffee Bay and Mqanduli.

Its founder, Simiso Shozi, said an estimated 5 000 people had listened to the station’s first day of broadcast.

“We cater for everyone. The only reason we called it a youth radio is because we want to help empower the youth of not only PSJ, but the entire Eastern Cape.

“Our vision is to introduce them to the world of media and broadcast,” Shozi told the Saturday Dispatch.

While the province is brimming with talent in music and other art fields, many of those artists are forced to relocate to metropolitan cities to get exposure as there are no platforms for them to showcase their talents locally.

As such, the focus of the station would be on making sure that musicians, story writers and other people involved in the arts were afforded a proper opportunity to shine.

“We want to create rolemodels here in PSJ, Lusikisiki and, in fact, the whole OR Tambo district which can hear our broadcasts.”

However, Shozi said that setting up the station had not been plain sailing as he had at some stage even had to travel to America to raise funding to start SYR.

He said the Media Development and Diversity Agency (MDDA) had contributed R1.6-million towards purchasing broadcasting equipment and operations.

So far the station employs 25 radio presenters, the majority of who are young women.

One of those lucky enough to be part of the new initiative is Mathanda Mthotyelwa, who presents the breakfast show.

He told the Dispatch that he had dreamt of being a radio presenter from age 15 while growing up in Maplotini village near the Majola Tea Estate in Port St Johns.

PSJ mayor Lindelwa Rolobile said discussions on the idea of setting up a station started in 2011.

And now that it has finally arrived, the authorities will be able to communicate some of their service deliveryrelated programmes to communities including things like the municipality’s integrated development plan.

Meanwhile long-time PSJ resident John Costello said residents of PSJ, especially in rural areas, were hungry for an information centre to keep them abreast with the latest developments. — sikhon@dispatch.