Alex FM board postpones AGM
ALEXANDRA – The EFF's Moshe Mphahlele said they will come back for the next AGM and will force their way in if refused entry
A chaotic annual general meeting of Alex FM held at the Central Johannesburg College (CJC) Alexandra campus on 26 May, ran short of fisticuffs and had to be adjourned due to a heated debate to look into the issues of the high membership fee which had been raised by the public.
Read: Alex FM finances in good standing – board
Alex FM board chairperson Pamela Mallela was forced to adjourn the meeting after members of the EFF demanded that they be allowed to participate in the election of a new board, despite being non-card carrying members. According to the station’s constitution, one can only participate in the election of new board members if he or she is a member of the station and has paid the annual membership fee of R100.
A meeting that started at 10am had to be called off at 5pm after EFF councillor Moshe Mphahlele and members of his party refused to be excluded from the election process. However, Mphahlele and his party members’ names were not in the voter’s roll.
Read: Alex FM does not comply with Icasa regulations
Another contested issue was treasurer Bongani Mandita’s report which was rejected due to a lack of some critical information, such as the firm that compiled the unsigned and undated report, and the R100 membership fee.
“We are not going to allow this illegitimate board whose term of office has expired to discriminate [against] our people simply because they can’t afford the R100 annual membership fee. The AGM is the highest decision-making body, not members of the board,” Mphahlele said.
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Jimmy Masingi of the Alex FM Listeners’ Forum, said they were extremely disappointed by the board’s conduct during the meeting and alluded to the treasurer’s report as the biggest bone of contention. “The board does not want to listen to the people and that is why we got to this juncture. They want to impose their will on members. In the next sitting we will come back and fight this R100 fee,” said Masingi.
Speaking to Alex News after the meeting, Mallela said they will consult with Independent Communications Authority of South Africa to find another suitable date for another AGM.
