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Khululeka (Be Free)

Country

South Africa

Programme Summary

"Khululeka" (Be Free) is a multi-part comedy/drama television series developed by South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) Education. The first series of the programme was broadcast in 1994 before the first post-apartheid elections and then in 1995 prior to the local government elections. The programme, which addresses 18- to 50-year olds living in South Africa, is designed as a vehicle for comprehensive civic education. It focusses on human rights and social issues like child abuse, gender equality, honesty, responsibility, and accountability.

Communication Strategies

Khululeka's key areas are:

  • voting knowledge (for example, the necessary registration steps)
  • voting attitudes and making the link between an individual's right to vote and the value of voting for that individual
  • human rights knowledge (specifically, socio-economic rights)
  • human rights attitudes (accountability and the civic responsibilities that come with human rights).


Specifically, producer Roberta Durrant's initial Khululeka shows introduced democracy and the procedures for voting. In Khululeka III, the first 13 of the 26 episodes addressed human rights and the civic responsibilities attached to them. The remaining episodes highlighted the right to vote as well as voter education for the 1999 general elections. Khululeka VI is a follow up to 3 previous series. This series investigates citizens' participation in democratic processes and the importance of preserving democracy within South Africa. The responsibility of individual citizens for ensuring that democracy works and thrives is addressed. Whereas previous shows emphasised specific learning skills, the new humorous and dramatic series illustrates democratic decision-making, the distribution of power, and the need to participate within a community.

The series was packaged as a group-teaching tool for NGOs, legal advocates, and women's organisations. Organisers say that this aspect of the programme is part of a strategy for bringing together people in workshops, making them laugh, making them think, and giving them useful information.

Development Issues

Youth, Rights, Political Participation.

Key Points

Khululeka aims to entertain audiences while informing them about practical civic matters, such as learning how to connect with elected officials, maneuvering through bureaucratic red tape, and discovering the benefits of working individually and collectively for social change.

Partners

Independent Electoral Commission (IEC), SABC Education, Penguin Films, Mott.

Contact

Lesley Fahey
Publicity
SABC Education
South Africa
Tel: 27 0 11 714 6085

Source

Community Agency for Social Enquiry (CASE) site. (This article, accessed on January 28, 2004, has since been removed.)


Placed on the Communication Initiative site March 24 2004
Last Updated March 06 2009



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