Wednesday, 9 February 2022
Abahlali press statement

Repression continues in eKhenana. Another court victory for the women of eKhenana

The alliance between the local ANC, the eThekwini municipality and the Cato Manor police continues to terrorise the community of the eKhenana Commune. All the cases, which are ten, opened by Abahlali members remain ignored and not investigated. These crimes against our members include attempted murders, assault, burning of property (including two homes), theft and lying in court. The police have refused to act against the perpetrators on the instruction of the local ANC chief, Mr NS Ngubane. However, each time the local ANC members report lies the police jump to arrest our members without any evidence being brought before a court of law. Our members have repeatedly been arrested on trumped up charges and then often denied bail and detained in prison, sometimes for up to six months.

On the 8 October 2021 Nokuthula Mabaso, Sindiswa Ngcobo, Thozama Mazwi, Phumelele Mkhize Maphiwe Gasela, who are all women, as well as Landu Tshazi, were arrested and charged with an assault case. The state alleged that the crime was committed in 2020. The complainant has lied in court. Bail was refused several times. When the state witness was finally put into the witness box the evidence showed that the state witness was lying, and as a result the accused were granted bail of R500 each.

On Friday, 4 February the Durban magistrate withdrawn all the charges against the accused.

This has been the consistent method of repression against our members. All of the arrested comrades are leaders in eKhenana. The state has constantly targeted them in an attempt to destroy the well-established commune that has been built there, a commune that is now also an important node in national and international networks of organisation and struggle. The women of eKhenana have been in the forefront of resistance against evictions and repression. They have paid and continue to pay a huge price for defending the land and the commune. We say: “Halala! The women of eKhenana niyimbokodo egayayo!”.

However the repression continues and we still have leaders of the commune in prison. For too long the justice system has been misused to score political goals. Our lives continue to be vandalized and to count for nothing. We have not heard back from the Director of Public Prosecutions. We have not heard from the Minister of Police and we have not heard from the South African Human Rights Commission. These institutions have shown no will to do justice to our movement.

Our movement will do all we can to defend the commune and oppose the abuse of criminal justice system by the ANC.

Umzabalazo uyaqhubeka

Contact:

S’bu. Zikode on 083 547 0474
Thapelo Mohapi: 0747744219
Mqapheli Bonono: 073 067 3274