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Soweto Community Television (Soweto TV) founded in the early 2000 by Tshepo Thafeng supported by the likes of the late veteran journalist Force Khashane. When starting the channel, the aim was to empower the youth in the community with televisions skills. Without  a doubt in its formative years achieved its goals by giving opportunities to young people who are today leading media practitioners who have been recruited by different media companies . Sadly, an institution that began as a noble idea that would benefit the community is currently facing many challenges that would lead to its closure as the result of the actions of greedy politicians.

The community of Soweto is not happy because it is not involved in the channel anymore. After the resignation of the former board ICASA mandated the only remaining board member Tuis Nkuta and the now dismissed CEO Bridget Nkuna to appoint people from the community to a steering committee that would like the channel for six months in preparation for the Annual General Meeting. Nkuta and Nkuna appointed their own preferred people who also happens to be their personal friends to the board, and they are now running the channel as their personal projects. The community  is convinced that the board has been appointed illegally and ICASA is aware since community has communicated to them more than once by community with no success.

The board appointed Thabo Molefe also known as Tbo Touch who is founder of the now defunct Touch HD. Molefe is also member of the same board that appoint him.  Since the arrival of this board, staff morale is at its high time low . Staff is facing intimidation and they are threatened with dismissals when they raise their dissatisfaction . Upon their return from festive holidays the entire production department was suspended with no reason . Letters given to them do not give reasons for their suspensions. Molefe and other board members have continuously threatened staff  saying  they are not afraid of anyone and they have budget for CCMA and any court action taken against them. The suspension is seen as the first step in Molefe’s plan to remove the current staff and replace them with Touch HD staff and his plan is endorsed by the illegitimate  board.  Staff is also not happy with the person appointed as the Human Resources Manager who do not have any experience and is old enough to be on permission 

As members of the community we tried to engage the suspended producers to understand their situations. The producers refused to speak siting that their issues are being handle legally and they would prefer to give legal processes time to deal with the issue. According to the information at our disposal producers were suspended after complaining to Molefe about Mandla Ncinitwa and HR Manager Vuyelwa Mahlangu who are leading the board projects of abuse .  In December they were forced to sign new contract that would see their current permanent contracts changed into short contracts and they refused.

As the community we would like channel partners liked Multichoice and Starsat to suspend their support to the channel in solidarity with the community. The Communication Department  under the leadership of Minister Stella Ndabeni is also requested to intervene. 

Issued By Concerned Soweto Residents