Lotteries commission to help rebuild looted Alex FM

The National Lotteries Commission (NLC) is expected to hand over aid in the form of “proactive funding” to community radio station Alex FM at an event in Johannesburg on Thursday.

This follows last week’s civil unrest in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal that saw several community radio stations, including Alex FM, vandalised and millions worth of equipment looted.

At least four community radio stations were attacked and looted during the unrest that broke out in the two provinces, which resulted in the deaths of 276 people and more than 2000 arrested.

The other radio stations that were attacked were Mams Radio in Mamelodi – northeast of Pretoria – West Side FM in Kagiso, west of Johannesburg, and Intokozo FM in Durban.

ALSO READ: At least four community radio stations attacked and looted in Gauteng, KZN

Alex FM station manager Takalani Nemangowe said the studios were destroyed and state-of-the-art equipment was stolen. Nemangowe estimated the damage to be around R5 million.

The radio station temporarily moved its operations to Sandton while pledges for donations to help rebuild it have been rolling in.

Compiled by Thapelo Lekabe.