Johannesburg – The Socio-Economic Rights Institute of South Africa (SERI) has written a letter, endorsed by more than 140 civil society organisations, to the South African executive and legislature on the brutal ongoing attacks on Abahlali baseMjondolo.
The letter calls for urgent intervention in these ongoing attacks after two professional hitmen entered the eKhenana commune in Cato Manor and assassinated the elected chairperson of the community committee and prominent Abahlali youth leader, Lindokuhle Mnguni, in the early hours of Saturday, August 20.
SERI executive director Nomzamo Zondo said: “The night Mnguni was killed was the first time he had slept in his home in months as he had been forced into hiding due to constant threat on his life.
“Mnguni, who was 28 years old at the time of his death, was shot several times and died at the scene. His partner, Sindiswa Ngcobo, was fortunate to survive after being shot three times. She, too, is a member of Abahlali baseMjondolo.”
Mnguni’s assassination is the third assassination of an Abahlali baseMjondolo member this year, following the assassinations of Ayanda Ngila, the deputy chairperson of the eKhenana branch, on March 8 and Nokuthula Mabaso, a prominent leader in Abahlali’s Women’s League as well as within eKhenana, on May 5.
“Since the establishment of eKhenana in 2018, at least eight people have been killed,” said Zondo.
The members of what is known to be the largest social movement that represents the interests of shack dwellers and the poor in South Africa is said to have endured the pain of being systematically targeted for the past 17 years.
Zondo said: “Abahlali baseMjondolo (Abahlali) have been systematically targeted with harassment, repression and assassination for advocating for access to land, adequate housing, basic services and for the dignity of informal settlement residents. The movement has been subjected to unlawful police raids, co-ordinated mob attacks, and targeted assassinations by hitmen.”
Zondo added: “Over the past year, at least a dozen leaders from eKhenana and Abahlali baseMjondolo’s leadership have been arrested and detained repeatedly for charges ranging from assault, conspiracy to commit murder and murder, although none of the prosecutions have resulted in a conviction.”
The letter also expressed disappointment in the lack of evidence that any investigation had taken place regarding the assassinations of Abahlali baseMjondolo members by the inter-ministerial committee on political killings in KwaZulu-Natal that was established in 2018 to investigate all political killings in the province and the multi-disciplinary task team that was then established comprising the SAPS, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) with the support of the State Security Agency and Correctional Services.
The letter calls on those in power, including Police Minister Bheki Cele and Justice and Correctional Services Minister Ronald Lamola, to end the oppression and efforts to silence and do away with the members of this movement and others like it.
“There is an urgent need for intervention at the national level to protect other leaders currently at risk, and ensure that transparent, independent and expeditious investigations are conducted.
“Without such action, Abahlali baseMjondolo members and other activists in the area will continue to be targeted and killed. Such violence against movements and organisations like Abahlali baseMjondolo is an indication that South Africa’s constitutional democracy and the freedoms we fought so hard for are under attack.”
The full letter and list of the 140 civil society organisations in support follows below:
https://mg.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/090922_Civil_society_letter_re_Abahlali_baseMjondolo_human_rights_defenders_assassinations_logos.pdf