Wednesday, 12 October 2016

Abahlali baseMjondolo press statement

S’bu Zikode to Speak at Schools in Estcourt on Friday

S’bu Zikode, the current president of Abahlali baseMjondolo has been invited to speak to the learners at the two schools that he attended: Inkosi Mjwayeli Primary School and Bonokuhle High School where he was matriculated. Both Bonokuhle and Inkosi Mjwayeli are situated in Estcourt in eMangweni, eMoyeni.

Since the movement was formed more than ten years ago we have struggled  to get children into schools at the beginning of each year and to ensure that children from impoverished families have access to schools, to all facilities and opportunities at schools and are not discriminated against at schools. In some cases our members have been elected on to School Governing Bodies.

Although we are committed to justice and not charity we understand that people in immediate need and crisis must be given immediate support. For more than ten years we have worked to support families who have lost school uniforms and books in fires. Tomorrow morning we will be providing this kind of urgent support to people in the KwaNxumalo area of Shallcross who recently lost everything, including school uniforms, in a shack fire. Where we can we have also worked to support the schools where our children study. We are currently working on a project to get computers into a school.

The movement also supports school leavers to access tertiary education with advice and support. Over the years we have developed good relationships with various organisations that can provide bursaries and scholarships. Sindy Mkhize has led this work.

Our movement stands for a high quality public education system that is accessible to all, including older people who did not have the opportunity to study. Municipal libraries have been very important resources for many of our members and we also support further development of the library system.

Many of our members have come to Durban and other cities from rural areas. Our members have often taken what they have learnt about organisation and struggle back to rural villages and towns. They have often taken the struggle home. As time passes this means that the links between our struggles in the cities and rural struggles are becoming stronger.

We are very pleased that S’bu Zikode, and our movement, have been given the honour of addressing learners at these two schools. Many of us were educated in deep rural areas where they were no resources and no hope for a better future. We feel the need to return back and contribute in our schools.  Sindy Mkhize will accompany S’bu Zikode on the visit to these schools. They will discuss possibilities for offering support to these schools.

The talks at the two schools will be given this Friday, beginning at 10:00 a.m.

Contact:

Abahlali office 031 3046420

Thapelo Mohapi 062 8925323

Inkosi Mjwayeli Primary School, Coordinator Mrs MR Nkomo 076 5429302

S’bu Zikode 083 5470 474