“Select your new wife, Mr Motsoeneng”

A historic meeting between the SABC board, local cultural organisations and traditional leaders in Thohoyandou last Wednesday ended in controversy when the organisers presented the acting chief operations officer of the national broadcaster, Mr Hlaudi Motsoeneng, with a wife, a cow and a calf. He was even invited to select his wife from among a number of Tshivenda maidens during the event.

Mudzi wa Vhurereli ha Vhavenda, a cultural and traditional lobby group in Venda, Vhavenda senior traditional leaders and the executive of the SABC, who had been evading each other for years, finally met. They finally have common ground on which to iron out their differences concerning the misrepresentation and the “below-standard use of the Tshivenda culture” by the public broadcaster.

The much-awaited meeting, which was attended by different stakeholders that included traditional healers, senior Vhavenda traditional leaders, civic structures and cultural activists, took place at the old parliament buildings in Thohoyandou last Wednesday.

The meeting could signal a new era in local broadcasting, with the Vhavenda getting their own TV channel and Phalaphala FM relocating to Thohoyandou.

Mudzi secretary Mr Humbelani Nemakonde said, “There is no leader in the SABC with whom we have not engaged and had correspondence with, but for over 20 years, we have not been heard. All we need is that we as Vhavenda get our own radio station here in Thohoyandou, which is closer to the listeners. This would benefit the advertisers and also the staff, who would not have to have two families. We also want our own TV channel and that the Muvhango soapie, which is undermining the Vhavenda culture, be stopped from the screens immediately,” said Nemakonde.

In a strongly worded speech, senior traditional leader Thovhele Midiyavhathu Tshivhase told the delegation from the SABC that the Vhavenda nation had been patient enough, but that a time would come, if needs be, that they would take to the streets.“We are telling you now that we do not want to hear that there is no budget. Make funds available for our own radio and TV stations. We also demand that sacred dances not be aired on TV as it is an insult to the Vhavenda nation,” he said.

In response, Motsoeneng said they had listened to all the problems as presented by Mudzi and the traditional leaders. "We are not making any commitment as of now, but we will look at all the demands as the executive and will come back to the people in due course. I cannot give a specific time frame," said Motsoeneng.

The presenting of the cow and calf, as well as the selecting of a “wife”, was construed by many as a bribing of the board and many said the board would be biased in its handling of the issues raised by Mudzi and the traditional leaders. Others said that Mudzi, who purports to fight for the purity of the Vhavenda culture and traditions, contradicted itself when it gave Motsoeneng a “wife” - something which is only afforded to chiefs in the Vhavenda culture and not a commoner.

Nemakonde defended the organization. "We gave Motsoeneng a cow and a calf for the exemplary leadership he displayed.We have worked with different leaders at the SABC, but never was there anyone who listened to us. Motsoeneng and his executive took a bold step and heard us. We are very excited that we finally found some common ground." Nemakonde distanced the organization from the "wife" issue, saying it was against the Vhavenda culture and that it had been blown out of proportion. "The only people who have the power to choose a wife at will are traditional leaders, according to our culture and customs," he said.

Date:23 June 2014

By: Elmon Tshikhudo

Elmon Tshikhudo started off as a photographer. He developed an interest in writing and started submitting articles to local as well as national publications. He became part of the Limpopo Mirror family in 2005 and was a permanent part of the news team until 2019.

Read: 9933