Wednesday, 8 December 2021
Abahlali baseMjondolo Women’s League Press Statement

An Important Victory in the Struggle Against GBV

Truth never damages a cause that is just. Law is not law, if it violates the principles of eternal and universal justice.

The Abahlali Women’s League celebrated a tremendous victory on the 6th of December 2021 at the Pietermaritzburg High Court. The serial rapist, Msomi, who is 31 years of age, received a sentence of 123 years and 5 life sentences in prison for the rape of more than 60 women. One of these women is a very senior leader of AbM.

Our leader had been severely assaulted in 2013. After the attack she went to RK Khan Hospital for medical help, only to find that the doctor responsible for the Thuthuzela Care Centre was not available on the day. She couldn’t open a case with the police because there was no doctor’s report. The victim had been traumatized all these years and did not receive support until 2019.

Every year during the 16 Days of Activism between 25 November and 10 December we organise workshops to build women’s solidarity around GBV and to provide practical support to victims. In 2019 she was part of one of these workshops and was referred onto to Lifeline Durban where she received psychological support and was further advises how to receive medical help and achieve justice.

When, after serious pressure against the state, Msomi was final arrested earlier this year 21 woman stood firm at the Durban High Court from and became state witnesses against the perpetrator. The others were frightened for their lives and chose not to be witnesses.

We as the Abahlali Women’s League organised to support the women. Beginning in July, when the matter first went to court, we launched a picket at the High Court in support of all the women. The picket was set to pressure the court to serve justice to our leader and the to all the other women.

Most rapes are not reported and most rapes that are reported are never prosecuted. This was an important victory.

We are inviting all women everywhere to organise to build women’s power in struggle and to break the silence of GBV which is a global pandemic.

We demand that the government of South Africa take Gender Based Violence cases as a priority. There are many problems with the justice system. One that is delaying cases for years is the backlog in processing DNA evidence. When there is no DNA evidence there is no case. The government must invest enough money into the justice system to resolve this problem, and take measures to stop corruption so that the money is actually used for what it is allocated for.

All progressive organisations in South Africa must work together to build a strong platform to struggle against GBV. Building women’s power and defending women’s autonomy must be at the heart of all radical politics.

#WeAreAPriority.
#StopGBV
#BreakTheSilence
#Women’sRights

Nomusa Sizani 081 005 3686
Zandile Nsibande 073 611 8279
OJ Majola 063 181 9997

2 December 2021
Abahlali baseMjondolo press statement

The justice system continues to fail us in eKhenana

On the 23rd of November the Cato Manor police finally arrested three of the six people who are widely understood to be responsible for burning down of the houses of two women leaders of Abahlali in eKhenana.

Nkosingiphile Nsele, Sibusiso Mdluli and Mthandeni Mfeka were arrested on the 23rd November and appeared at the Durban Magistrate Court on the 25th November. They were granted bail of R2 000 each.  Continue reading →

Saturday, 27 November 2021
Abahlali baseMjondolo press statement

Abahlali to hold Elective Congress to deepen our internal democracy

It is that time of the year where the mandate given to our current leadership by our members is ending. The Abahlali National Council term of office runs for three years, while the provincial term runs for two years. The Local Council office term runs for a year. Tomorrow Sunday, 28 November ,Abahlali from around the country will meet at 135 Musgrave Road in Durban to elect our new leaders. The movement is determined to deepen our internal democracy. This is an opportunity to affirm that our Movement belongs to its members. Delegates comes from our branches in good standing and candidates have been nominated by branches in good standing. New branches are also invited to observe the election. Continue reading →

Saturday, 06 November 2021
Abahlali baseMjondolo press statement

The majority have rejected the ANC

Only around a quarter of people eligible to vote chose to cast their votes for the ANC in the recent election. The mass stay away from the polls is a mass rejection of the ANC, along with the DA and the EFF which could not attract the support of significant numbers of former ANC voters. When you do not respect the dignity of the people and you undermine their power you always pay the price.

We have always said that the day is coming where South Africans will no longer have the loyalty to the ANC and will vote them out of power. This election shows that that day is coming. Continue reading →

Abahlali baseMjondolo press statement
Wednesday, 27 October 2021

Repression continues in eKhenana as the homes of Maphiwe Gasela and Phumelele Mkhize are burnt to ashes

The alliance of the Cato Manor police, the local ANC and the eThekwini Municipality against the eKhenana Commune has taken another ugly turn. Last night the homes of Maphiwe Gasela and Phumelele Mkhize were burnt. Like all the other comrades from eKhenana who have been granted bail after arrest on bogus charges their bail conditions prohibit them from returning to Cato Manor, where eKhenana is located, so their homes were not occupied at the time of the attack. Continue reading →

Monday, 25 October 2021
Abahlali baseMjondolo press statement

The attack on the eKhenana land occupation continues with the assault of women and more arrests

On Saturday at about 10am ANC thugs molested and assaulted Phumelele Mkhize, Snothando Mkhize, Nomlindelo Madlala and Nomfundo Mhlongo at the eKhenena occupation. The police came and instead of arresting the ANC thugs they arrested two of the women that they had attacked: Phumelele Mkhize and Maphiwe Gasela. Maphiwe has previously been arrested and imprisoned on false charges that were finally dropped on 4 October. The two were charged with assault in the same matter that Nokuthula Mabaso, Sindiswa Ngcobo and Thozama Mazwi were arrested and charged for earlier this month.  Continue reading →

Friday, 22 October 2021
Abahlali baseMjondolo press statement

The ongoing attack on the eKhenana Commune is being planned at a high level

A total of nine comrades have now been arrested on trumped up charges in the latest wave of repression against the eKhenana Commune. Six have already had all charges withdrawn. Two of the six spent two weeks in prison and the other four spent six months in prison. Yesterday Nokuthula Mabaso, Thozama Mazwi and Sindiswa Ngcobo were released on bail after spending two weeks in Westville prison.

The police are currently in eKhenana. They say that they are there to make more arrests. Continue reading →

Statement of Solidarity from the Kairos Center to Abahlali baseMjondolo

The Kairos Center for Religions, Rights, and Social Justice in the United States stands in solidarity with Abahlali baseMjondolo in South Africa as they struggle for the fundamental rights to land, housing, and dignity. We celebrate the visionary members and leaders of Abahlali’s shack dwellers movement and decry their continued political persecution.

For over a decade, the network of poor people’s organizations and religious communities that make up Kairos have learned from the experiences of Abahlali. We have watched with awe and admiration the development of a nationwide shackdweller’s movement, uniting leaders in disparate communities and contributing invaluably to the struggles of the poor and dispossessed in South Africa, Africa, and the world. This includes Abahlali’s principled support of other poor people’s movements, including here in the United States, where they have stood with and encouraged our young and growing movement.  Continue reading →

Continued political persecution

On Friday 8 October 2021, the South African police arrested three members of Abahlali baseMjondolo (AbM), the social movement of shack dwellers in South Africa. Nokuthula Mabaso, Thozama Mazwi and Sindiswa Ngcobo are all prominent leaders of the eKhenana Commune in Cato Crest, Durban, South Africa, a grassroots project of reclaiming land, housing and dignity through collective political organisation of the most effected.

All three were arrested on false and trumped up charges that are clearly connected to a longstanding political persecution campaign. These arrests follow a six month legal battle to clear the names of Lindokuhle Mnguni, Landu Tshazi and Ayanda Ngila who had spent the better half of 2021 in a crowded Durban prison accused of fabricated crimes. This also follows a four month battle to clear the names of AbM Deputy President Mqapheli George Bonono, the eKhenana branch secretary Maphiwe Gasela and Siniko Miya. All six activists targeted over the last year have played a protagonistic role in conceptualising, building and defending the eKhenana Commune – a place of hope that produces life, nourishment and livelihood. Continue reading →

The repression of the eKhenana settlement must stop now

The eKhenana settlement in Cato Manor, Durban, is an inspiring model of what can be achieved by democratic forms of self-organisation. It has a farm, a school, a poetry project and more. Its achievements have received significant media coverage in South Africa and sustained interest and solidarity from abroad from organisations such as the Movimento dos Trabalhadores Sem Terra (MST), the movement of the landless in Brazil which is rooted in the precepts of liberation theology. Continue reading →