(Subcommittee) MDDA Board Interviews Day 1

Meeting report

The procedure for each of the four interviews was that the Chairperson welcomed the candidate, explained the interview process and introduced the Committee members. The candidate introduced herself and made a presentation to the Committee. Refer to the audio for each candidate’s response to questions.
 
Interview 1: Ms Lichelle Barry
Mr T Gumbu (ANC) asked the candidate to share her understanding of the following Acts: Electronic Act No 36 of 2005 and the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) Act No 13 of 2000 as amended. He asked what the MDDA role would be in a digital environment. He asked for the candidate's understanding of the relationship between ICASA and the MDDA.

Mr C Mackenzie (DA) thanked the candidate for her presentation and said she has a very impressive CV. He referred to a comment that the candidate made during her presentation: “It diminishes or excludes our lives”. He asked if she was talking about people with disabilities, the LGBTQIA community, women, black people or people in general? If the candidate was going with a particular segment of people, he asked if she was able to cast her eye a bit wider to the general audience given that she would be representing quite an important sector. He asked the candidate to define the term “community” and what it meant in relation to MDDA. He referred to new media being the internet primarily and referenced T-Bo Touch and Gareth Cliff and the success they have had with new media despite having almost no start-cash. He asked how the candidate could help the MDDA achieve its mandate by doing more with less during the COVID-19 economic climate. He asked the candidate to answer the question with a new media perspective.

Ms P Faku (ANC) thanked the candidate for her work. She was doing wonderful, impressive work. She thanked her for representing the communities that she does in the country.  She asked what the candidate's understanding was of media freedom in South Africa. She asked what the candidate understood by media diversity in South Africa. What are the different categories of media and what needs to be done to diversify the media landscape.

Ms Z Majozi (IFP) referred to the MDDA implementation of new projects and funding application process. MDDA stated that it will not retain projects on the waiting list. She asked if the candidate were appointed, what her take would be on this and if she thought it was fair. She asked if the candidate would support traditions and culture in a diverse way, should she be appointed.

Ms N Kubheka (ANC) asked what impact the candidate could have on this sector. In 2019 ICASA had to close a number of community radio stations due to severe non-compliance with the rules. There have also been complaints of non-payment of signal distribution fees by some stations. She asked what the candidate thought the MDDA could do to improve the situation. Considering the current challenging economic conditions which may lead to budget reductions at MDDA, what innovative funding approaches would the candidate suggest for the MDDA going forward.

Mr B Maneli (ANC) asked what the candidate would contribute to the MDDA board if appointed. He referred to radio stations being unable to pay their licence and asked how the candidate would ensure that the voice of different communities is represented and how the candidate would balance this in a sustainable manner.

He thanked the candidate and gave her an opportunity to give closing remarks.

Interview 2: Mr Luzuko Buku
Mr Gumbu asked the candidate how the MDDA could remain relevant financially in the digital era.

Mr Mackenzie thanked the candidate for his presentation and referred to the distinction between commercial and community media that the candidate made in his presentation. He asked if the candidate could explain this in an MDDA sense and refer to examples of community and commercial media. Should the candidate be appointed as a board member, he asked if the candidate would approach the two streams with a different perspective and what this would be in relation to funding or sustainability. Given the current economic troubles, he asked if the MDDA could operate as a desk within GCIS and still operate effectively. If not, why not? The candidate talked about actively diversifying media ownership and said that dramatic changes in ownership have taken place in print media. He asked the candidate to explain what he meant by this. He gave the example of Radio Oranje in the Northern Cape which speaks one language and has one culture. If a community applied to have such a radio station how would the candidate view this type of application.

Ms Faku asked how the MDDA could facilitate all role players to avoid duplication and enhance monitoring and compliance. She asked how media literacy was important for equality of citizenship. What could be the role of MDDA in promoting community media.

Mr V Pambo (EFF) asked about the candidate's views on diversity. He referred to Mr Mackenzie’s question on Radio Oranje. Would the candidate issue a licence knowing that the radio station was duplicated in many ways in South Africa as opposed to what may be diversity. He asked the candidate to speak more on his philosophy of how he would like to see the development of diversity in media in general.

Ms Majozi asked the candidate how he would encourage young people to bring project applications for grant funding. What else would he do to ensure that there is awareness of the MDDA and grant funding.

Ms Kubheka asked the candidate what was lacking in MDDA that he could deliver to the communities, particularly in the COVID-19 era. She asked what expertise the candidate would bring to the sector in order to uplift it. With a decline in print media consumption and a move toward digitisation, she asked what the candidate thought the MDDA outlook should be toward community funding.

Mr Maneli asked about encouraging young people to apply for funding and the sustainability challenges of issuing licences to community radio stations. He asked for the candidate's understanding of this to gauge what he would do to remedy this situation. He referred to international funding and how this should be cultivated as sometimes this has strings attached – he asked for the candidate's take on this.

He thanked the candidate and gave him an opportunity to give closing remarks.

Interview 3: Ms Sibusisiwe Chimombe
Mr Gumbu asked if the candidate was a journalist by profession and for her understanding of the MDDA grant funding and how this is disbursed.

Mr Mackenzie said the SABC has a public service mandate which enables it to come before the Committee and say that it would need R1.9 billion from government. Community media also has a public service mandate and asked how the candidate would compare the mandates of community media and the SABC when addressing community issues. He asked if the candidate would leave the SABC if she became a MDDA director or stay in her current role. He asked if she would see any conflict of interest between the community broadcaster and the SABC if she stayed. He referred to providing skills to young people starting up community media newspapers or radio stations and asked if she could think of some government entities operating in this space that she would collaborate with as the MDDA. He asked for one or two examples.

Ms Faku asked what the candidate's understanding was of good governance in the context of a board. She asked what the candidate understood by media freedom in South Africa. What is the relationship between MDDA and ICASA and what intervention the candidate would propose for MDDA to achieve its mandate.

Mr Pambo thanked the candidate for her presentation and asked what the candidate's understanding of diversity of voices as it relates to gender, race and community media. He asked how the candidate would play a role in this and why she would move from being a journalist to wanting to participate in the MDDA. He asked what the candidate thought was lacking in the current diversity and how she would bring about change considering the current economic climate during COVID-19. 

Ms Majozi said considering the challenges encountered by the MDDA board and its backlog of accumulated projects and the limited funds to clear this, MDDA had to select projects for approval dating back to 2010. She asked what decisive decision the candidate would take on this issue if she were appointed.

Ms Kubheka said in 2019 ICASA had to close a number of community radio stations due to severe noncompliance with rules and non-payment of signal distribution fees. She asked what the candidate thought would improve the situation. Considering the difficult economic conditions in South Africa due to COVID-19  which may lead to budget reductions for MDDA, she asked what innovative funding approaches the candidate would suggest going forward.

Mr Maneli said the candidate had raised the challenge of the high costs community radio stations incur and asked what could be done by the MDDA. 

He thanked the candidate and gave her an opportunity to give closing remarks.

Interview 4: Ms Bernedette Muthien
[Note: the audio recording did not capture Ms Muthien’s interview, refer to the YouTube version]

Mr Gumbu asked what the role of the MDDA was in promoting community media in a digital age.

Mr Mackenzie referred to new media and asked if the candidate believed that there is a particular skills set required for young people to take advantage of these opportunities. In terms of political independence of community media, he asked how the candidate saw the MDDA encouraging a diversity of voices especially with local government elections coming up as community media has a big role to play.

Ms Faku asked what the candidate's view is on how community media can be strengthened to empower communities to have more voice and represent the geographical spread of South Africa. She asked for the candidate's understanding of media freedom in South Africa. She referred to grant funding challenges and said some radio stations collapse along the way. She asked the candidate what tools should come into play to ensure that the funded radio stations remain sustainable and create jobs.

Ms Majozi said diversity does not only include languages, but also diverse traditional cultures. She asked how the candidate would intensify such projects and promote them, if appointed.

Mr Pambo referred to diversity and to the Radio Oranje example. He asked what the candidate understood by diversity and what a diverse media landscape would look like. He asked the candidate to speak to equity and equality in her assessment of diversity.

Ms Kubheka asked how the candidate would assist the MDDA with her expertise. With a decline in print media consumption and a move toward digitisation, she asked what the candidate thought the MDDA’s outlook should be toward community print funding.

Mr Maneli asked for clarity about sustainability in community media.

He thanked the candidate and gave her an opportunity to give closing remarks.

Meeting adjourned.