Mnikelo Ndabankulu

Mnikelo Ndabankulu was a founder member of Abahlali baseMjondolo and was elected as the movement’s spokesperson on 23 November 2008. He previously held this position in 2005, 2006 and 2007. He lives in the Foreman Road settlement where he is Deputy Chairperson of the Foreman Road Abahlali baseMjondlo Committee. He is 25.

Mnikelo has been involved in all of the movement’s major mobilisations from planning to action. He has often been subject to police harassment and on 28 September 2008 he was arrested on charges of ‘Public Violence’ and ‘Attending an Illegal Gathering’ when he went to visit 13 comrades who were being held at the Sydenham Police station. He has recently been closely involved in the struggle to keep Foreman Road electrified. The comrades there are able to re-electrify everyone within two hours after police de-electrification.

Mnikelo was born in the Village of Flagstaff in the Eastern Cape on 16 June 1984. His mother was a family person and a farmer planting vegetables and mielies (maize)and taking care of them. His father worked in the Department of Agriculture planting gumtrees, taking care of them and then taking them to Verulum to make jotter books for schools.

Mnikelo’s grandfather, Chief Babini, fought in the struggle against irhafu (tax) that started with a boycott. A meeting was attacked on Ingquza Hill in 1960. The police came in a helicopter and threw down teargas and shot at the people. People threw stones and knobkerries up at the helicopter. Many people were killed and many were arrested. Some were permanently disabled. There were a lot of Ndabankulus on Ingquza Hill in 1960. Only one old man is left who can narrate the story directly.

The ANC are now claiming this struggle as their struggle but the truth is that it was ordinary people who made this struggle. They chose to fight this struggle under the banner of Faku, their traditional leader. But it was their struggle. They decided to stop paying taxes.

Mnikelo first decided to come to Durban in 1997 when he visited the city for a mathematics competition while he was still in high school. He stayed in the beautiful side of the city, in a conference centre in Clairwood, and never saw the ugly side of the city. He first came to Foreman Road in 1998 during the school holidays to stay with his brother. When he first saw the blocks of flats in Sparks Road he was used to the space that people have in rural areas and he thought that each block of flats was for one person. When he first saw the Foreman Road settlement he thought it was an ihoko (pig pen) and that a big umlungu (white person) was keeping his pigs there. He was completely shocked that human beings were staying in such a place.

In 2004 he moved to Foreman Road permanently.

For Mnikelo:

I arrived in Foreman Road as an ANC member from a strong ANC family and used to attend ANC and SANCO meetings in Foreman Road. But I was not recognised and was just treated as a boy. My job was just to attend rallies and to listen to politicians. There was no opportunity to speak. At that point I thought that politics was just for old people. But Abahlali baseMjondolo recognised me and elected me as their first spokesperson.

Abahlali baseMjondolo has been a big eye opener for me. Without the movement I would have thought that the internet and email were a big mistake for us – something that is only for the rich. I would only have set foot in the university if I was there to cut the grass or paint the walls. Sometimes I go there to sit on the nice big chairs and to debate, sometimes I boycott. The choice is mine.

Electricity connection is not a criminal offence whatever the law might say. It is needed by our lives, not by us. If connecting electricity means that we must be arrested then so be it. We can’t compromise our lives out of respect for an authority that has no respect for us.

No matter how hard we fight against the government they are not our enemies. We are prepared to sit down and negotiate with any government. We don’t hate people. We hate oppressive actions. We hate oppressive structures.

We want free electricity, free houses in the cities and libraries everywhere, libraries with free newspapers, books, music and internet.

We support anyone who supports our demands. We are not involved in the struggle for fame. What makes us proud is the realisation of the rights of our people.