The Unemployed Peoples’ Movement (UPM) has accused Radio Grahamstown station manager Pamela Zondani of preventing them from exposing corruption.
The Unemployed Peoples’ Movement (UPM) has accused Radio Grahamstown station manager Pamela Zondani of preventing them from exposing corruption.
In a scathing letter to Grocott’s Mail, the group described the events that took place in at the radio station on Wednesday 26 June.
Three UPM members were invited as studio guests of host Makhaya Mzongwana to discuss the matter of alleged corruption in the allocation of RDP houses in Extension 10.
Zondani said she asked them to leave after receiving numerous calls from listeners and a Radio Grahamstown board member complaining that the show was spiralling out of control.
"The station manager barged into the studio, banged the doors, shouted at everyone and kicked the DJ and his three guests out," the UPM said in the letter to Grocott's.
In defense of her actions, Zondani claims that Mzongwana and his guests and listeners were swearing on air and making unfounded accusations of corruption and other scandals against Mayor Zamuxolo Peter and his councillors.
"It is incredible that we are being so openly prevented from discussing this important matter on a local radio station," the UPM wrote.
Zondani claims Mzongwana opened the lines and invited his listeners to throw punches at the Mayor and his councillors.
Mzongwana, better known to his listeners as 'DJ My Man', denied the allegations.
"I'm a well-trained professional and I'll never do such."
Reverend Xolani Gonqga is also a presenter at the station and said that he was listening to the show. He said Mzongwana called Mayor Peter uneducated (liqaba) and called for listeners to 'name and shame' corrupt officials.
"Not only did Mzongwana behave in an unethical manner, he also passed his time slot by 20 minutes as it was already 20 minutes after 12 when I chased them out," said station manager Zondani.
Mzongwana said that there was no DJ to take over from him, so he thought he should just keep the show going. Mzongwana is the host of a current affairs show on radio Grahamstown which runs on Wednesdays from 9am to 12pm.
The show allocates an hour slot for municipal matters, allowing officials to engage in a dialogue with residents. However on this particular Wednesday, no Makana representatives were present to defend themselves.
Municipal spokesperson Mncedisi Boma, who usually speaks during the slot, said they were absent because they were busy organising the National Arts Festival.
Mzongwana said he has not received any complaints from the station management since the incident and still continues to host the show.
Zondani says they will meet with the board members of the station in the near future and call Mzongwana to a disciplinary hearing.
According to the Broadcast Complaints Commision of South Africa (BCCSA), all radio stations are forced to comply with their code of conduct.
This holds radio stations responsible for fair comment that doesn't amount to hate speech.
Zondani said if anyone laid a complaint against Mzongwana's show, the station could be in deep trouble.
Phenyo Dean Butale from the Freedom of Expression Institute said they view the incident as an act of censorship which restricts the role of community radio as an advocacy mouth piece for the community and its service delivery issues.
