Over the past few weeks we have seen some very unfortunate reporting about Gagasi 99.5 from one particular Sunday publication. Clearly some people have taken it upon themselves to hold us accountable for the way we do our work and run our business.

 

We’d like to state it on record that, like any other company, we have a communication policy that guides us as to how we communicate with external stakeholders which include the media. This policy is determined by the company's management in conjunction with its Board of Directors and serves for the purposes having a control and reference for what is communicated externally.

 

It is disappointing to us that some of our colleagues in the print media seem not to understand this and instead choose to demonstrate disregard for our systems as an independent radio station.

 

Two weeks ago I wrote a letter to Isolezwe ngeSonto giving our view regarding the story that the publication wrote about our presenter Mamgo Ngubane. Unfortunately the publication chose not to publish the letter for reasons only known to them.

 

In the interest of common understanding let me share a section of the letter I wrote which reads as follows (translated) “I don’t think that there is justice if it can be expected that, as a radio station, we reveal the inside information concerning presenters and their work. Like any other work place, there will be that type of information that, it wouldn’t be appropriate for us to disclose because anywhere, the matter between the employer and the employee will always be internal.

 

Unfortunately Isolezwe ngeSonto chose not to publish this letter denying us a chance to voice our views on the matter.

 

It is disturbing that the very same publication makes reference to the very letter that they did not publish in questioning the way I, as the station's Public Relations Officer, execute my duties.

I find it to be quite a unique journalism practice where you have a situation where the views of one party are denied platform yet are still questioned on that very same platform.

 

I find it strange that they accuse me of being unwilling to respond yet on the other hand they find it fit not to publish my response.

 

Had they been more objective with their analysis, they would have realized how Gagasi 99.5 has always been supportive of the World Cup related activities and that speculations about Mamgo’s suspension for commending government were baseless.

 

Had they not been obsessed with criticizing Gagasi 99.5 they would have realized how much I have always been cooperative to the media and that one incident where I was not able to respond on time does not, in all fairness, necessarily amount to the inability to do the job.

We can assure our listeners that despite all negative efforts by this publication, Gagasi 99.5 will continue to grow and prosper.

 

If listeners have any concerns about the station, we welcome them to direct their questions directly to the station for credible feedback.