Farewell to founder member after 36 years of service
The Support Centre for Land Change (SCLC) bade farewell to the organisation’s founder, Phumelelo Booysen, who is retiring after 36 years of service. SCLC is an activist organisation working primarily with rural communities in the western regions of the Eastern Cape Karoo, the Central Karoo and the Garden Route towards achieving land and climate justice.
With the support of Angela Conway, who has since retired, Booysen established the organisation, then known as the Southern Cape Against Removals (Scar), in 1987 in support of communities resisting forced removals at the height of apartheid. The organisation subsequently shifted its focus to agrarian transformation and became known as the Southern Cape Land Committee (SCLC). In 2017, after being in existence for 30 years, the organisation changed its name to the Support Centre for Land Change (SCLC) and extended its work beyond promoting land rights to include combatting climate change.
“We don’t know how to thank you for everything you have done for the organisation over the years,” said an emotional Patrick Sambo, executive director of SCLC, last Thursday on Booysen’s last day of work.
“No amount of money will ever be enough to repay you for the important role that you played in keeping the organisation together, giving strategic direction, and supporting community struggles.
“There are no words to express what you have meant to the organisation and the communities where we work. We wish you well and hope that you will enjoy the time with your family, but please keep contact with SCLC.”