Alex FM strike now a go-slow

The community of Alexandra together with Alex FM staff wrote a letter to the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa) in a bid to have the radio station’s board removed.

Read: UPDATE: Alex FM offline due to staff strike

This was after Grant Thornton denied to have an audit report done which the board’s treasure Bongani Mandita tabled at the postponed Annual General Meeting (AGM) which was held at Johannesburg Central College three weeks ago.

“Alex FM staff together with the community demanded that the current Alex FM board be removed,” the letter read.

Read: Alex FM board postpones AGM

“We have had countless meetings over the years and recent months with management and the board of Alex FM, which have been fruitless, hence we have taken action in [the form of] a go-slow.”

Other complaints listed were:

• The 26 May 2018 Annual General Meeting was aborted because the board couldn’t provide audited financial reports.
• If we have a board that is illegally in existence what mandate do they have to file a court order?
• When were they elected in office? According to the Alex FM constitution clause 16.2 says: ‘The board of trustees should serve two years’.
• They haven’t, according to clause 13.1 of Alex FM constitution, held a biennial general meeting.
• The government gazette volume 609 of 2016 March 30 November 39872 page 9 clause 7 says: ‘The licence must be owned by the community members with the board of directors as custodians of the licence’.
• The treasurer told the community that Grant Thornton audited the station’s funds but after further investigations, Grant Thornton distanced itself from this (the company only said it compiled a trial balance).

According to staff representative, Matsatsi Mokoena, Icasa has confirmed receiving the letter and promised to respond soon. Mokoena also told Alex News that the board had requested to meet with station employees on Friday 15 June but employees declined the invite calling for the board to resign.