VOC’s parent body, the Muslim Broadcasting Corporation (MBC), hosted its Annual General Meeting 2016 this past weekend to elect new trust bearers for its Board of Trust (BOT) and management board, who have come to the end of their five year term.  The annual general meeting serves as a tool to appraise the overall performance of the station and to map out its vision.

“The MBC/VOC has a deep-rooted twenty-one year experience of community radio broadcasting. The MBC/VOC radio station has achieved more and developed phenomenally in a positive direction than what it may have lost or been looked at negatively, over these years,” said re-elected MBC chairperson Shaykh Achmat Sedick.

“However, I think the time has come for the MBC/VOC to have a critical re-look inside and outside itself and dovetail the results thereof with current trends in the multi-media and community radio broadcasting. This is irrespective whether there are existing, optimal functional and other non-functional structures within the MBC/VOC radio station.”

Sedick said this critical assessment excludes the critical analysis of governance and policy Issues, because that needs to be reviewed on another platform, though there must be absolute synergy amongst all of them.

“The one hinges onto the other, therefore the one cannot be done in isolation of the other. The whole idea is to develop a well-designed long-term Sustainable Plan for the MBC/VOC,” he explained.

“To give effect to any turnaround strategy, it requires financial liquidity, collective commitment and collective responsibility. The MBC/VOC has the capacity to bring about positive change, but the MBC/VOC has to do it smartly and has to be amenable to change by doing things differently, when it is required to do so,” he continued.

The AGM concluded that the radio station has to do periodical skills audits of all their staff and workers and place the staff and workers proportionately to their specific skills development within the various MBC/VOC structures.

Another strategic goal is to pay all staff and workers competitive salaries in tandem with community radio stations salary scales, and to provide and commit all staff with the necessary educational, up-skilling and training opportunities in media and community radio broadcasting. The AGM also stated that senior positions must have a maximum five-year term, as opposed to indefinite occupation in such positions.

“Inshā-Allāh in this way, as a collective tram, MBC/VOC will grow from strength to strength with the rotation of new blood, innovative ideas and fresh harvesting of the local and global ever-evolving community radio broadcasting industry, the rapid multi-media developments and technological advancements, allāhumma āmīn,” Sedick concluded.
The election results are as follows:

The Newly Elected MBC BOT Officials

Chairperson:  Shaykh Achmat Sedick
Vice-Chairperson: Achmat Jacobs
Secretary:  Shafiek Gallie
Assistant Secretary: Nijema Hayat
Treasurer:  Sulaiman Gangat
Assistant Treasurer: Nabeweyah Malick

The Board of Management (BOM)
1. M. Armien Samodien (Chairperson)
2. Rashaad Frydie
3. Hajera Isaacs
4. Armien Lucas
5. Moegsin Khan
6. Imam Allie
The Remaining MBC BOT Members are:
1) Shaykh Riad Fataar
2) Gasan Fridie
3) Ml M. Shakier Vermeulen
4) Marwaan Moerat
5) Maulana M. Ghoosain Rhoda
6) Shaykh Ebrahim Manan
7) Abdul Hamied Pretorius
8) M. Sedick Crombie
9) Mogamad Abdurouf