Movement live in fear as activists killed

ANTI-shack dweller movement Abahlali baseMjondolo (Shack Dwellers) is losing leaders and activists following the killing of three of the movement’s activists in the past three months.

Since its establishment over 17 years ago, the movement says more than 23 of its members have been killed, most of them in violent manner.

This weekend, Abahlali buried Nokuthula Mabaso, who the spokesperson of the movement, Thapelo Mohapi, said was “a powerful leader”. She had worked tirelessly for her community in the area of eKhenana, Cator Manor, Durban.

Mabaso, also leader of the Women’s League, was assassinated in eKhenana on May 5 and laid to rest on Saturday, with at least 500 people in attendance.

“The funeral of comrade Nokuthula Mabaso was attended by more than 500 people and there was a lot of singing of Struggle songs,” Mohapi told The Star after the funeral.

Members of the community were still angry about Mabaso’s death, he said, as it continued the unabated series of violent attacks, death threats and violent evictions against its members.

“People are angry about what happened to comrade Nokuthula.

“The movement is deeply hurt. We are a movement under siege from the ANC-led government.

“We are alone and we are a forgotten generation. We continue to die in shack fires and in floods and we live like pigs in mud.

“When we fight for our rights we are killed like animals with 23 of our members and leaders having been killed fighting for our rights,” he said.

Mohapi says Mabaso, 40, was shot four times in the back then in the breast and stomach.

Mabaso’s death follows the murder of another member, Ayanda Ngila, who was gunned down by four armed men on March 8.

Ngila is said to have been working with members of the community to repair an irrigation pipe at the eKhenana community garden.

The grass-root movement has accused the ANC and the police of not protecting them from attacks and violent killings, adding members of have been living in fear since the beginning of the movement in 2005.

“Every day our families are concerned about our lives. We are constantly living in fear.

“Fear from the government we thought was going to liberate us. We are scared but will soldier on because we believe in fighting for this,” Mohapi said.

On the issues faced by the community since the Durban floods, Mohapi said the movement had been helping flood victims to rebuild their lives.

Mohapi said: “Many families have been heavily affected by these floods. Many lives have been lost in the shacks and families are living in community halls till today.

“There’s no food and water and we are the hardest hit by the floods.

“We have been working together with progressive forces to help those in need.

“We have assisted more than 200 families in shacks with food in terms of food parcels.

“This is outside of the government.

“We are fortunate to be engaging with the MEC for Human Settlements in the province to try to deal with this crisis.

“We have hope that one day this society, this just society we want to see, will materialise where no one is left behind.”