Public Gets Stronger Voice: North West Province Upgrades Community Radio Access

GOVERNMENT BACKS COMMUNITY RADIO EXPANSION IN NORTH WEST PROVINCE

Star FM 102.9 in Klerksdorp now broadcasts from a digitised studio, giving North West province residents a stronger, more reliable community radio service in isiXhosa, Setswana, English and Afrikaans. The upgraded facility was officially handed over on Friday, and for the communities that depend on locally relevant news and civic dialogue, the change is immediate and practical.

Community radio stations like Star FM are often the primary information source for residents who cannot access national or commercial media that reflects their daily realities. The newly upgraded studio strengthens that function, supporting programming that covers local news, community dialogue and development-focused content across the region’s linguistic diversity.

Deputy Minister in the Presidency Kenny Morolong attended the handover alongside the Media Development and Diversity Agency (MDDA). He framed the investment in direct terms of democratic duty. “This investment reflects government’s continued commitment to strengthening community media as an essential pillar of our democracy and ensuring that every community has access to reliable, diverse and locally relevant sources of information,” he said at the event.

The significance of the upgrade extends beyond new equipment. Morolong described the facility as a platform where diverse voices can shape the conversations that matter most to their communities. “While we celebrate the completion of the upgraded facility, we are reinforcing a platform that promotes diversity, dialogue and strengthens democratic participation and ensures that local voices for our communities continue to share the conversations that matter most,” he stated.

The timing carried its own weight. The handover coincided with South Africa’s Women’s Month observance and falls ahead of the 70th anniversary of the 1956 Women’s March to the Union Buildings, commemorated on Sunday. Morolong drew a direct line between that historical act of civic courage and the present-day effort to ensure every community has a voice. “Their call for justice, dignity and equality continues to inspire our efforts to build a society where every voice is heard,” he said.

By contrast, the occasion was not only about a single station. Morolong also referenced the broader cluster of national milestones South Africa is marking this year: 30 years since the adoption of the Constitution, 50 years since the 1976 Youth Uprising, 60 years since the forced removals in District Six, and the 70th anniversary of the Women’s March. These form part of the Milestones of Freedom campaign, launched by President Cyril Ramaphosa in June.

The provincial leg of that campaign was launched Thursday at the uMfolozi TVET College in KwaZulu-Natal, where Morolong connected historical struggles to present-day nation-building. The Star FM upgrade sits within that same frame: government investment in community infrastructure as a concrete expression of democratic commitment, not merely symbolic gesture.

For residents of the North West province, the practical outcome is a radio station better equipped to reflect the region’s linguistic and cultural diversity while giving local voices a durable platform in public life. Whether the MDDA’s investment model will extend to other underserved community stations across the country remains an open question.