On the 18th of June 2016 the RUF [Rastafari United Front], under the auspice of Bantu Media SA called a Rastafari media Imbizo, inviting all the Rastafari Media Companies, Artists, TV and Radio presenters, Videographers, Production houses, Camera Man, Film makers and Journalists to a community briefing regarding the signed agreement of Rastafari broadcasting at SABC [South African Broadcasting Corporation] TV and Radio. It was a joint initiative with the SABC but the representative, Nhlanhla Hlongwane, who is SABC commissioning editor could not make it and sent his apologies.
On the Agenda was the RUF presentation on SABC MOU contents. The audience received a debriefing from the chair of the meeting Thau Thau Haramanuba who is also the Leader of RUF. Thau Thau went on to explain the series of events that lead to the signing of the MOU in September of 2015 and part of the contents of the MOU were read out to the audience. The meeting was held with SABC COO Mr Hlaudi Motsoeneng, who gave the Rastafarian community airtime on all Radio and TV Channels. RUF and Bantu media then sent a proposal for a TV show to the SABC. And that is where buck stops. RUF is waiting to hear from the SABC, and that is the Current situation right now as we speak.
The second item on the agenda was: Rastafari Media Companies Working Relationship and Way forward on how to submit TV and Radio proposals to the SABC. There was no clear and cut out way forward in this regard, as there was no outline or step by step guide set out. A question was put forth to RUF to explain the criteria that will be used to select the proposals; what criteria and requirements are needed from the part of production and media companies presenting their proposals and who are the people who will be doing the selection and what qualifications do they have. Bantu media, headed by Don Power, went on to explain that RUF and Bantu media has appointed a Task Team to oversee it. The names of the Task Team members were not divulged.
Another contentious concern for most in the audience was that of intellectual property issue. Some people wanted to know from Bantu Media, how can they guarantee that the ideas in the proposals received will not get stolen from the rightful owners, as it is something that tends to happen a lot in the industry. Don Power assured them that there will be contracts signed in that regards although there is no proper blue print set out on how to combat that.
RUF explained that Bantu Media is an agency of RUF set up to facilitate the relationship between the SABC and the Rasta Community in general. They are the gateway to the SABC and all proposals will go through them for screening purposes before they could be submitted to the SABC. There are three areas that they are looking at: Education, Entertainment and Spirituality. Although Bantu Media did not divulge specifics on the proposal they sent to the SABC, the field is open to the three sectors as stated out in the MOU.
The issue of funding was also raised, and Bantu Media stated that they do not have any funding for any projects, they are unable to secure funding because of the issue of being Rasta [and ganja] and therefore not taken seriously by funders. So individual productions must have or solicit their own funding.
When asked about any other alternatives should the SABC deal not work out, Thau Thau expressed that they will be targeting eTV in the near future in the hope of securing another deal like they did with the SABC.
The second last item on the agenda was: How to be part of the 90% local content on SABC TV and Radio. Don Power explained that it was not part of the MOU and that its a recent development, so there is no strategy in place.
Then the floor was open to media outlets to present and the following spoke briefly about their works.
Kutso – Kush Media [Videos, Graphic design]
Empress Hotep – SARMA [South African Reggae Musicians Association] – Cape Town
Jah Humble – Tshwane FM Reggae Show & Twelve Tribes Pretoria Branch
Queen Mother Moses Wunzooyah – Jerusalem Project
Miss Lee – Mzansi Reggae
Fikile Makhalemele – Lioness Productions [Event Organisers]
Zingi Sigaba – Miller Communication and Reggae Promoters Association
This imbizo was a step in the right direction, even though no concrete resolutions came out of it. It turned out to be a good opportunity for networking and exchanging of ideas as quite few people who are active in the scene turned up. Something that does not happen often in the Reggae Dancehall circles.
An opportunity like this should not be lost, as the RUF has appointed itself to facilitate the relationship with the SABC through the signed memorandum of understanding, its a huge task and there is lots of ground work to be done. Starting off with a solid Task Team that is capable and qualified to take the works forth. The task team should be accessible for questions and recommendations and should be able to reach interested parties in all the provinces in South Africa. The Task team that will be able to articulate well the contents of the MOU to the general Rasta community and at the same time be able to do follow ups with the SABC. The process must be transparent and all members of the Task Team known to the public and what their roles are.
Then the process of selection and pitching must be set out in detail and be accessible to all and sundry. It must be clear, who to send the proposals to, what are the criteria for selection, what format must the proposals be made, closing dates and when to get feedback. As a media house, they must ensure that information reaches people who are relevant to this.
Another aspect that is very crucial, is workshops. More workshops on film and production, creative business planning, Radio production and presentation are needed, because as much as we would like to talk of Rastafari Media Companies, there aren’t many, and some of the ones in existence could use assistance from industry professionals who are not necessarily Rastafari but who have knowledge that they can impart to help shape the fragile Reggae industry.
Objectives and Goals must be set. The RUF must have a working timeline to see where they are taking this MOU with the SABC. It must be clear what the objectives are and when are they expecting to see the fruits of labour.
We hope to see more of these networking sessions and more workshops, in order to be able to build ourselves, the industry and the music business at large. It is opening doors for communication among promoters, artists and various organisations and stake holders. We are part of South Africa, lets link and interact with other like minded souls who don’t necessarily wear locks, but we could exchange a lot with them.
For further information regarding the Media Imbizo mail to: bantumediasa@gmail.com. Facebook: Bantu Media TV/Radio.
