Bernelee Vollmer|Published
Veteran broadcaster Tim Modise has received an honorary doctorate in Communication Science from North-West University (NWU), recognising a career that has taken him from music radio to some of South Africa’s most significant political conversations.
The degree was conferred at NWU’s Mahikeng Campus on Thursday, October 22, returning Modise to the city where he worked at Radio Bop in the early years of his career.
Before becoming known for his political interviews and current affairs broadcasting, Modise worked at Radio 702, joining the station in 1980 as a programme assistant. He later moved into music broadcasting before developing an interest in talk radio.
In 1988, while working at Radio Metro, now Metro FM, Modise began introducing talk radio programmes on consumer rights, legal issues and health.
In a 2013 interview with "News24", he described how broadcasters found ways to discuss issues affecting listeners despite restrictions on political discussion.
“We camouflaged issues as community issues, but we were actually talking about what was important to people,” he said.
The approach allowed broadcasters to address issues affecting listeners at a time when direct political discussion on radio was restricted.
His career took on greater political significance as South Africa moved towards democracy. In 1994, he was among the journalists who questioned Nelson Mandela and FW de Klerk during their televised debate ahead of the country's first democratic elections.
A 2001 "Mail & Guardian" report recalled that Modise asked the first question during the televised debate between Nelson Mandela and FW de Klerk in April 1994.
The report stated: “The first question, which ignited and set a tone for the proceedings, was posed by Tim Modise. The question was centred on the issue of crime, then in its formative stages of becoming a nemesis to a nation coming to grips with change.
“Reflecting on that moment, Modise noted how it was ‘very powerful, both professionally and personally’.”
Modise’s role in the debate placed him among the journalists questioning South Africa’s leading political figures ahead of the country’s first non-racial democratic elections in April 1994.
Modise went on to work for the SABC, SAfm, Metro FM, eNCA, and Carte Blanche. He also helped establish Power FM and served as chief communications officer for the 2010 FIFA World Cup Local Organising Committee.
His achievements include being named SABC Broadcaster of the Year in 1991 and inducted into the South African Radio Hall of Fame in 2011.
Reflecting on his honorary doctorate, Modise said the recognition was particularly meaningful because his broadcasting journey began in Mahikeng.
“This honorary doctorate holds a special place in my heart because it comes from an institution in Mahikeng, where my broadcasting journey began,” he said.
With local government elections approaching in November, Modise’s experience in political broadcasting remains relevant, particularly the role of journalists in questioning those seeking public office and keeping voters informed.