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.

http://www.mg.co.za/article/2009-04-16-mzansi-voters-mnikelo-ndabankulu

Mzansi Voters: Mnikelo Ndabankulu
NIREN TOLSI | DURBAN, SOUTH AFRICA - Apr 16 2009 14:42

The one thing shack dwellers like Mnikelo Ndabankulu are guaranteed of after every election, is more building material for their mjondolos.

Once the ballots have been cast, election posters make their way into informal settlements like Foreman Road, a sprawl of rusted metal, wood and cardboard shacks arranged on a precipitous slope overlooking the middle-class suburb of Clare Estate in Durban.

http://www.isolezwe.co.za/index.php?fArticleId=4124978
Sibhalele

Waze wanobuntu umshayeli wetekisi

November 12, 2007 Edition 1

Mhleli: Ngivumele ngidlulise lokhu okuhle okwenziwe ngumshayeli wetekisi. Kuyangithokozisa ukulobela le ngosi ngingakhali ngalutho kepha ngibonga.

Umshayeli wetekisi esebenzisa umzila weseClare Estate obizwa ngoSipho wemoto yakwaLanga wangiqophela umlando ngesikhathi sesithi ubuntu abusekho.

NgoLwesihlanu mhla ka-9 Novemba ngithathe itekisi ngenjwayelo ngilibangise edolobheni kwenzeka lokhu okubhalwe emabhasini akwaDurban Transport okuthi mamatheka, bingelela umshayeli, ngakwenza lokho ngingazi ukuthi ngiyazisiza.

http://www.tios.co.za/index.php?fArticleId=4066414

Letters
Violence can't be justified

October 06, 2007 Edition 1

From: Mnikelo Ndabankulu Durban

The article by Carvin Goldstone (The Independent on Saturday, September 29) allowed all to see who fools who when the police say they arrest marchers and charge them for public violence.

In the photograph, you can see the man in the red shirt, with his arms folded, with nothing in his hands such as stones or sticks. So how do we justify this violence?

The article by Carvin Goldstone dated 29-09-2007 in The Independent made everyone to see who fools who when the police are saying they arrest the marchers and charge them for public violence. In the photo you could see the innocent men in the red shirt there folding his hands with nothing in his hands such as stones, sticks or what so ever. So how do we justify this charge of public violence against the protestors? I think its high time that our busy judges time are used on serious cases and not these struggle disatablizing strategies of cold violence from the police. To add salt to the wounds they did not take notice of respected church leaders from different denominations such the Methodist Bishop P Malinga; Rev T Dlazi, Rev P Phillipo from Italy based in Roman Catholic church in Mgungudlovu Paster Mavuso, Paster Dlamini to mention a few. Their presence was rewarded with the direspection of irrigating their colors, cellphones and digital cameras by the water cannon tanks. What a bad attitude to our church leaders by the police.

Abahlali held their 2006 AGM on 26-11-2006 at the Kennedy Road Hall. From the beginnings of the preparation the AGM was announced through all Abahlali meetings and on community radio.

ABM did not appoint a single person to be a candidate. All Abahlali settlements and branches were given the mandate to hold open assemblies in their areas so that each settlement and branch could elect its own candidates. Each settlement and branch also had to elect and mandate its own delegates to the AGM because there was only space for 300 delegates. No area, even if is a very big area like Kennedy Road, could have more than 20 delegates. This was to make sure that the voice of the smaller areas came through carefully and that the bigger areas, and the areas closer to the hall, didn’t dominate everything. Most of the delegates were women. Abahlali is always putting izimbokodo at the front. To be a delegate you had to be a paid up Abahlali member. Membership costs R7 per anum. Even the very poor can afford this but because we are many all the R7 put together is enough for Abahlali to keep its freedom from those donors and NGOs who think that they can buy themselves a movement to say and do what they want it to do. We always say no to breyani money. Abahlali only belongs to its members.

Abahlali babamba umhlangano wabo wonyaka zingu mhlaka 26 November 2006 ehholo lomphakathi ku Kennedy. Ukulungiselelwa kwalowomhlangano kwakumenyezelwe kuyo yonke imihlangano yabahlali .nasemisakazweni. ABM abazange baziqokele bona ababezongenela ukhetho .Wonke amalunga Abahlali kumawadi kwadingeka ukuthi baziqokele bona abantu babo abazobahola. Ngoba ihholo lingathwala 300 .kwadingeka ukuthi , isigodi ngasinye silethe 20 wabantu.Lokhu sasifuna ukuqinisekisa ukuthi zonke izigodi zikhavekile ngokulinganayo.Nokuthi noma abantubaku Kennedy bebaningi bangazenzeli ngokuthanda kodwa kulinganwe .Iningi elabe lingenele kwabe kungabesimame.