Celebrating an Award for the eKhenana Commune

Friday, 02 December 2022
Abahlali baseMjondolo press statement

Celebrating Award for the eKhenana Commune

The eKhenana Commune continues to receive International recognition. On Sunday we will celebrate with Abahlali baseKhenana.

This year three comrades have given their lives for the eKhenana Commune, for occupying land and building a democratic community organised in accordance with progressive principles on issues like gender, xenophobia, sharing labour and refusing the commodification of land. They have worked to build food sovereignty, a co-operatively managed store, a political school and poetry, theatre and choir projects.

The three comrades who gave their lives for the Commune this year – for the principles that people should be able to govern themselves and that land should not be bought, sold or rented – were assassinated by izinkabi (hitmen) hired by those who want to seize the land and use it for private profit and not for the benefit of the poor and marginalised. They put profit before human life.

The Commune has suffered and survived severe repression including repeated illegal and violent evictions, assaults, beatings, arrests and imprisonment on fake charges, the burning of people’s homes and assassinations. Despite all this Commune still stands, and it still stands as a model for organising as we move forward. However people are living with serious trauma and in constant fear.

The Anti Land Invasion Unit and Calvin Security have never been held accountable for their illegal and violent acts including burning people’s homes an using live ammunition. The police have never been held accountable for numerous arrests on bogus charges and failing to arrest an assassin when there is video evidence showing him committing a murder. The prosecuting authority has never been held accountable for denying innocent people bail and sending them to prison. Neither the government nor the ANC nor the SACP have come out publicly to condemn the assassinations.

Earlier on the Commune was able to build solidarity with progressive movements around the world, and the representatives of many organisations – from Swaziland to Brazil – have visited the Commune, often participating in the activities at the Frantz Fanon Political School.

In the wake of the assassinations there has been an outpouring of global solidarity, and many organisations and individuals have visited the Commune, including high level church leaders, representatives of Scandinavian governments and so on.

In honour of the courage of the residents of the Commune, and in solidarity with them,
the Southern Human Rights Defenders Network has presented the eKhenana Commune the with the 2022 Human Rights Defender of the Year award. The award was given in Lusaka on Tuesday evening. It was received by Phumelele Mkhize, a leader in the Commune. She gave a very powerful speech.

On Sunday 4 December we will be gathering to celebrate and honour those who have given their lives in defence of the humanity of the oppressed and a clear vision of a just and equal society, a society in which the dignity of all human kind is recognised, a society in which every person is recognised as a person.

We celebrate with the people of eKhenana. The late Comrade Ayanda Ngila said that the struggle is not easy but one day we will reach our destination, which is Khenana. Our aim and hope is to build a movement of communes, and then a society of communes.

We will continue with the struggle regardless of what stands in our way. As the late Comrade Lindokuhle Mnguni said we have now committed ourselves to socialism or death.

UNgila wayeshilo umzabalazo unzima kodwa soze sifike eKhenana. Sizozabalaza.

Contacts:

Thapelo Mohapi – 084 576 5117
Snenhlanhla Mncanyana – 073 832 3331
Phumelele Mkhize – 067 043 7939