Last night S’bu Zikode spoke in parliament, in Cape Town, at the Constitutional Dialogue organised by the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC), the National Foundations Dialogue Initiative (NFDI) and the Institute for Justice and Reconciliation (IJR) at an event organised to discuss how the key values under-pining the Constitution (human dignity, the achievement of equality, advancement of human rights and freedoms, non-racialism, and non-sexism) can be realised.

Other speakers included Professor Barney Pityana, a former leader of the Black Consciousness Movement, and Edwin Cameron, a former judge on the Constitutional Court.

This is the text of the speech given by S’bu Zikode.

24 October 2019
25 years of democracy has been paid in blood

A talk given by S’bu Zikode at the National Foundations Dialogue Initiative, Cape Town Parliament

There is no doubt that in 1994 we all had high hopes in the political leadership of a black majority government in our country. Many promises were made and many promises were broken. Many people who came to work for government decided to work to enrich themselves. We were shocked to realise that impoverished communities on the ground just became voting specialists. Many of us started to organise communities to build unity and enabling environment for government to deliver to its promises. We did not just fold our arms and waited for hand outs. We registered NPOs and ran drop in centres, early child development centres. We ran community gardens and feeding schemes and worked with local business to feed and find employment for our communities. We remained passionate and patriotic to our communities and to our country. While we worked hard to democratise our settlements. We committed ourselves to the project of nation building as envisaged by Nelson Mandela and others. We were inspired by the values of our constitutional democracy and held our flag so high. Continue reading →

Urban Shack Settlements as a Site of Struggle

A talk given at the ‘Urban activism: Staking Claims in the 21 Century City’ conference at Harvard University on 13 September 2019.

S’bu Zikode

I am very honoured and humbled to be invited here at Harvard University to speak on Urban Activism. I take this opportunity to express my sincere gratitude to the Centre for Middle Eastern Studies who have invited me, and made it possible for organised shack dwellers in South Africa to be represented at this prestigious platform. I am also grateful to Abahlali baseMjondolo for entrusting me to speak here, and with this excellent opportunity for our movement.

When we take our place in our society we take it humble but firm. Today we take it here at Harvard. Just as we occupy land we also try to occupy our place in all discussions that are relevant to us and our lives.  Continue reading →