After failing to retain their position of being the top Education Radio Station, Munghana Lonene (MLfm) declared that they would bounce back and reclaim their position next year.

During their year-end educational function, held at the Eiland on Monday morning, MLfm failed to retain their position, which they took last year. The competition was initiated by the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) to encourage quality programming of educational programming amongst its radio stations for the first time last year, and MLfm became the first winner of that title.

During this function, Oliver Shivambu won a trophy for taking first position in the Early Childhood Development programme, Morgan Shivambu came second in health issues, Ruth Mabala and Thomas Baloyi came third in learners support, while the programme producer, Stanley Zitha, received a trophy in recognition of his role as the man behind the educational programmes.

The station, which is going to win the big floating trophy that MLfm has kept for a year, will be announced later as the SABC is going around the stations presenting the prizes.

Zitha said they wished the station that is going to win the trophy the best of luck. However, he said whichever station is going to win "must handle this trophy with care as we are going to reclaim it next year. "I am not happy, because we failed to retain our position. The big trophy has gone now. But the good thing is that we are going to reclaim it," said a disappointed Zitha.

Zitha said that other stations might have done their best to make sure that they win the trophy and indeed they won fairly. However, Zitha says he believes that the relocation of their station from Giyani to Polokwane might have affected them.

He said it was easier for them to produce good quality shows, as people were able to come and be interviewed live in the studio. Now he says the quality of their programmes might have dropped because they now interview people over the telephone. However, Zitha says they will make sure that they come out to be the best with the available resources.

The station manager Mapule Thelma Mbhalati said she was also disappointed that they lost the trophy while adding that, "I am not that much worried as it is going to one of our sister radio stations. Anyway, we will reclaim it."