Black Lives Matter protest at Parliament
A SMALL group of protesters gathered at the gates to Parliament yesterday in solidarity with the protests in the US over the death of a black man at the hands of the police.
They highlighted the death of Collins Khoza in Alexandra, Johannesburg, at the hands of the SANDF during the lockdown.
Across the world, people are protesting against systemic racism and police brutality following the death of George Floyd, 46, a Minneapolis man who was killed while in police custody last Monday.
He was accused of using a counterfeit $20 note to pay for cigarettes.
Black Solidarity Action (BSA) activists protested outside Parliament.
An activist calling himself just comrade Tongora said: “I’m in solidarity against the brutal attacks by the police against our black people.
“This is happening internationally during this Covid-19 pandemic, and to send the message across to our government and to politicians so that they can see what is happening with the police and the SANDF.”
On April 10, 40-year-old Khoza was beaten at his home by patrolling soldiers and died soon afterwards.
Tongora added: “The Black Solidarity Action is a campaign which is mobilising black people for black power. It doesn’t matter which political party you are under.
“We’re not focusing only on black people, we want white people to also form their own formation and fight against what is happening.”
PAC member Khululekile Banzi said: “This is a valid start to what we hope is going to be a bigger movement. If you look at what is happening around the world, what’s happening in America, it is not a first – it’s always been happening. I won’t say it’s a good thing that happened, but that put a global spotlight on what is happening here in South Africa with the likes of Collins Khoza and others who were murdered by the police and the defence forces.
“Of course they tried to cover up the killings. Even the numbers that we get, there’s much more than that.
“If you look at rape, if one rape is reported, at least seven others go unreported.”
National convener for BSA, Matigari said: “We want defiance. Our freedom cannot be defined within the current socio-economic system. It was built on slavery, genocide, national oppression and colonialism.
“The colonial subjects must stand up and transform their struggles into revolutionary struggles.”