Tomorrow Abahlali will hold a memorial service to respect and honour the life of our late comrade Sibonelo Mpeku. We will be celebrating his life and his contribution to building the power of the impoverished in struggle. Mpeku was one of our great cadres who knew he needed to be humble and respect others in order to demonstrate the kind of leadership that we want. But at the same time Mpeku knew that he needed to be firm and brave to realise land, housing and dignity.  

There is no other way that we think we can best respect him, and the other comrades who have lost their lives in our struggle, than by making sure that what our fallen comrades fought for lives forever. Mpeku, like many of our comrades was denied the right to dignity in life. We will bury him with dignity. We have to do all we can to make sure that his spirit inspires us all to insist on our dignity, and a world that respects the dignity of all people.

The memorial service will also help us build unity and solidarity amongst the community and the movement in these trying times. We note with great concern the threats and fear that continues to tear apart the hope and the inspiration of our communities. Along with the crisis in Sisonke Village in Lamontville our comrades are also facing serious intimidation and threats in Asiyindawo, also in Lamontville, Silver City in uMlazi, Cato Manor, Bhambayi in Inanda, Clare Estate and Newcastle in Northern KwaZulu-Natal. In Lindelani ANC and IFP local structures have colluded against Abahlali and two of our leaders are in hiding.

We will do our best to ensure that all the families who lost their love ones are accommodated in this memorial service. We will do all we can to rise above the politic of division, fear and bloodshed and to unite the oppressed around a democratic politics and an emancipatory vision.

We would like to invite all progressive movements, church leaders and struggling communities to be with us in Sisonke Village. The Memorial Service will be held at Sisonke near sport ground at 14:00pm tomorrow Thursday, 23 November 2017.

Contact:
S’bu Zikode: (President) 083 547 0474
Mqapheli Bonono: (Provincial Chairperson) 073 067 3274