Wider voice for the Church

by Editor · February 2, 2005

News that a high-powered delegation of bishops has met with the director-general of the department of communication is giving new hope that Radio Veritas may one day broadcast to all Catholics throughout South Africa.

It was such a meeting that this newspaper called for last year, when the station’s plans to broadcast at least to three cities were shattered by the Independent Communica-tions Authority of South Africa (Icasa).

We commend the good will of the department’s director-general, Lyndall Shope-Mafole, in proposing a review of current broadcasting legislation to the minister of communications and to Icasa.

There are no guarantees, however, that the minister or Icasa will amend the legislation which prevents Radio Veritas from going nationwide (by defining a community by region, not as a community of interests spread over a wide area). Indeed, opponents of such an amendment may raise issues of limited airwaves and possible abuses of new broadcasting freedoms. No doubt station director Fr Emil Blaser and his team will already have covered all these arguments.

While the future now holds greater promise, Radio Veritas and the Church it serves from the bishops to the faithful must continue to publicly show unity of purpose to ensure that there soon will be a Catholic voice on the airwaves throughout South Africa.