The venue was strategic, so as also to celebrate the launch of the radio signal in Matatiele and its surrounding areas. This event also formed part of the station's endeavour of taking the radio to the people, an outreach as it were. This also assisted in measuring the impact of the station's existence after going on air 12 months ago. This also gave the station's personnel an opportunity to mingle and mix with their audience and well-wishers.
This was an event that took almost three months of planning by the Station Manager, Mr Michael Mvuzo Lunika and line-managers. Planning committees were then formed to tackle various tasks in preparation for the anniversary. Mr Lunika also saw it fit to add colour to the event by suggesting that a beauty pageant be part of the celebrations.
The programme of the day was shaped as follows: opening devotions were led by the Reverend Julius Dlephu; board members, Mr Justice Mzozoyana delivered a welcome address; another board member, Ms N Thipa introduced guests present, her task was followed immediately by an address by Mr Lunika whose address theme was "The Purpose of Today's Gathering". Shortly thereafter Pastor-cum-motivator Ndabentle Myeza warmed up the hall with his 'words of wisdom' during his ceremony.
There were also messages of support from the following sectors: traditional leaders, churches, an association of business houses, Nafcoc, from representation from three local municipalities, namely Umzimvubu Local Municipality and Matatiele Local Municipality and the Alfred Nzo District Municipality.
Amongst guests for the day we can enumerate, Minister of Public Works Mr Geoff Doidge, who in his address said the value of this radio station must be based on the rich culture and tradition of the community the Alfred Nzo district.
Mr Doidge pledged his support to the station. He indicated that when he announces his R4.2 billion project next year concerning the building and renovations of schools, Alfred Nzo Community Radio would get the first priority. “I want to speak to South Africa through this station first and later through SAFM."
He said he was also grateful to note that when he was listening to the radio the other day there were lots of listeners phoning into the station.
Addressing himself to the Station Manager, Mr Michael Lunika, Mr Doidge said, “Don't look back. This station is a test to see your potential and professionalism."
But Mr Doidge ended his address with a word of warning to Mr Lunika: "Because of the professionalism I have noticed in your station, do not be surprised to see me walking into the station looking for a communication officer for my office."
Introducing the guest speaker of the day, Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Communication, Mr Khotso Khumalo, MDDA's CEO, Mr Lumko Mtimde recounted the hurdles ANCR had to go through before it eventually went on air starting as far back as 1996.
Now that ANCR is on the air next year's voter education towards the 2009 elections will also be beamed through ANCR. He said a further cap of the ANCR was the fact that it has managed to broadcast to Matatiele community.
Chairperson in the Standing Committee on Communication in the national parliament, Mr Khotso Khumalo, indicated: "We give money to MDDA and in turn it passed to community radio stations. We must underline the fact that a community radio belongs to the community and therefore the community must be seen participating fully in the affairs of these stations.
"As a community radio station, events affecting the community in local areas, such as current affairs must be accorded full coverage," he said.
Mr Khumalo echoed yet another warning to the station: “I cannot guarantee that other radio stations, be they small or major, may poach your station for personnel.”
Mr Nyokana from NCRF, in his address he encouraged the formation of a listeners' forum. It will be the listeners' right to approach the station management to tell them what they want to hear on their radio. He also urged the management and the board members to stick to their mandated roles and should not overlap thus breaching the protocol of their duties and so on.
The co-coordinator from the Eastern Cape hub Mr Xola Nozewu joined us for the evening programme.
After all speeches were delivered, the next stanza was that of awarding certificates to the winners of a writing competition. A brief background about this competition: there were six winners in various categories which are short story, feature and poetry. Mr Lunika's idea of mooting this competition was, among other reasons, to expose the talent in writing of producing poets, young and old, in the Alfred Nzo dictrict including budding writers of short stories.
This part of the event was followed shortly by the presentation of awards to the station personnel in the categories of best presenters and best news readers and so on.
The event was broadcast live from the Matatiele town hall amid a packed to capacity hall. The entire ANCR staff was bussed to Matatiele for the occasion. This was without doubt a day that will be remembered by the Alfred Nzo community for a long time to come.
In his address Mr Lunika said, among things, that starting this community radio was not a walk in the park, as people might think. “There're some challenges which at times I kept on asking myself whether this radio will ever see the light of the day.”
Mr Lunika thanked the radio station's board which he said “through thick and thin” stood by the management through trying times.
The Board's chairperson, Mr Zanekhaya Gxarisa, said the station took an unprecedented and unique step, that of walking before it could crawl to as far as it is today. “There is a Chinese saying that says to effect a journey of one thousand miles you start with one single step,” said Mr Gxarisa.
Mr Gxarisa paid tribute to a number of institutions which he said made an invaluable contribution to the success of the Alfred Nzo Community Radio.
The beauty pageant in the evening event stole the thunder, judging by the attendance. Despite the fact that there was no room to either sit or stand inside the hall, people kept on purchasing tickets saying that they did not mind even if they had to stand the whole night as long as they were inside the hall. The nearly 15-hour long event came to an end after Miss Nomkitha Nyombolo was crowned Miss Alfred Nzo Community Radio 2008/2009. Her prize will also include among others a year's contract as a “learner presenter” at the station. With this type of offer or prize it would be directly ploughing back and empowering the community of the district, said the station manager, Mr Lunika afterwards.
