Mercury: Church honours shack dwellers’ leader

http://www.themercury.co.za/index.php?fArticleId=5289780

Church honours shack dwellers’ leader

December 17, 2009 Edition 1

GUGU MBONAMBI

S’bu Zikode, president of Abahlali baseMjodolo (shack dwellers’ movement), was honoured at a special awards ceremony yesterday for being a beacon of dignity and hope to shack dwellers.

The Order of the Holy Nativity award was established by the Anglican Church in 2003, and is given to Anglicans who have performed outstanding service to communities in matters of justice and reconciliation. Zikode is the first non-Anglican to receive the award.

The chairman of the KwaZulu-Natal Christian Council, Anglican Bishop Rubin Phillip, yesterday encouraged Zikode to continue fighting for shack dwellers, despite political interference.

“The award is a way of recognising the good work Abahlali is doing through its leader S’bu Zikode, and we will continue to support the movement,” he said.

Many leaders of the Abahlali movement, including Zikode, were forced to abandon their homes and remain in hiding following a mob attack at the Kennedy Road informal settlement, in Sydenham, Durban, in August. Two men were killed in the attack.

Speaking after the attack, Nigel Gumede, head of the city’s housing and infrastructure committee, accused Zikode and several academics who had aligned themselves with the shack dwellers’ struggle of not having the best interests of the community at heart.

Gumede accused them of thriving on the community’s misery to further their personal agendas.

However, Phillip dispelled all allegations levelled against Zikode, saying he was deeply committed to improving the lives of shack dwellers.

“After the mob attack at the settlement, many of the Abahlali leaders were forced to leave the comfort of their homes and stay in places of safety until the tension dies down,” he said.

“The municipality tried to divide the shack dwellers and now the food distribution programmes and HIV/Aids programmes have all stopped. The Abahlali leaders are also in hiding and there is nobody to look after the interests of the shack dwellers,” he said.

Zikode said the Anglican church’s unwavering support was his source of strength. “Tension at Kennedy Road is still high, but I will continue to work towards improving the lives of the underprivileged.”