Eyethu Orange Farm Mall adds Theta FM, day-care centre
Radio station moving after nine years
Theta FM is a community radio station that has grown its listenership to over 300,000. Presently located in a school, the station will move to its modern new facility of around 100sqm at the mall. From its new home, it will broadcast live from Eyethu Orange Farm Mall, with a live feed inside the mall too. Theta FM will officially start its live broadcasts from Eyethu Orange Farm Mall a week before opening day, ensuring the community is first to know the latest from the mall.
Charles Motaung, Program Manager at Theta FM hailed the decision by the owners of Eyethu Orange Farm Mall to give the station a home at the new mall. "As a community broadcaster, we kept on with the vision and the dream of making a difference in our community. We saw radio as a tool to educate those around us, motivate people to change their situation and stimulate economic growth and community development. To broadcast from the Mall gives us a great opportunity to grow Theta FM and continue to contribute in the development of our listeners.
"After nine years of broadcasting from a class room at Isikhumbuzo Secondary School, this is a great infrastructural relief. We are very excited and grateful to the owners of the Mall for housing us in such a modern facility. This is the best birthday present we've received for our ninth year being on air."
Day-care centre offers ECD
At the Mall, Afrika Tikkun Afrika Tikkun, a well-established NGO that deals with early child development (ECD) in impoverished and township communities, will operate as a day-care centre for children from three to six years, in 200 sqm of quality space.
Afrika Tikkun CEO, Marc Lubner says, "Access to effective ECD programmes gives children a significant head start when it comes to schooling. We are delighted to be able to partner with the Mall in providing first class education opportunities for the children of mall employees and the broader community."
The National Empowerment Fund's Rural & Community Development Fund unit facilitates the community's share. Its co-owners, each with a 30% stake, include the mall's developers Stretford Land Developments and Flanagan & Gerard Investments, as well as JSE listed property company Dipula Income Fund.
