The President of Abahlali BaseMjondolo (ABM) Sbusiso Zikode, from Enkanini Informal Settlement, is living in fear as the number of the leaders being killled within their organisation keeps rising. Zikode, who hails from Escourt in the KwaZulu Natal Midland accuses the Cato Manor South African Police Service (SAPS) and the African National Congress (ANC). Zikode’s fears emanate from the four members of the ABM who were murdered this year.

COPS AND ANC IN BED TOGETHER?

The members gunned this year are Ayanda Ngila, Lidokuhle Mnguni, Siyabonga Manqele and Nokuthula Mabaso.                                                                                              “I fear for my life, not only me but the entire leadershipof Abahlali is being targeted. The fact that I’m talking to you is another reason I will be targeted. The cops and the ANC are in bed and killing us because we are fighting for the human rights of black people. We are an informal community, working together to improve the lives of the people living in the shacks. They don’t want that and instead are killing our people because they want this land to build flats to rent out. We are running successful gardens that feed the community here and run our own poultry business. The ANC is saying we are stopping them from eating,” he said.

24 MEMBERS DOWN

Zikode said since 2009, there are 24 members of the ABM that have been killed and no arrests have been made.                                                                                        “The reason I’m saying the police are working together with the ANC in killing members of Abahlali is because the people who murdered Ngila are known to be ANC members. The ANC in the province has never bothered to condemn the murder of Abahlali. I have spoken to Minister Bheki Cele on more than one occasion begging him to send a special task team to investigate the murders of our people. I have asked him several times to help us and arrest the people who are behind the killings of our people but he is not interested. It's sad because when it is another race, he jumps just because we are from the shacks he’s ignoring us,” he said.

SPATE OF KILLINGS

Ngila was shot and killed by four armed men. At the time of his death, he was working  on repairing an irrigation pipe in the Khenana community garden. The gunmen fled the scene through the local river. Three suspects have already been arrested in connection with his murder. Samson Ngubane ,who is believed to be an ANC leader, businessman and a local pastor, his son Khaya and his brother Mhlanganyelwa, who have been denied bail. Ngila was the deputy chairperson of ABM in Khenana community in Durban. Shortly after the murder of Ngila, on March 12, Siyabonga Manqele was allegedly gunned down by the local police. It is believed that the police from Cato Manor had come to arrest his girlfriend and they allegedly opened fire on him, killing him instantly. in May another member of the ABM, Nokuthula Mabaso from was shot dead. Mabaso, was also a leader in Khenana and played a major role in the establishment and management of a chicken farm set up by a group of women. ABM leaders believe the reason for the murder was to prevent Mabaso from testifying against the man who killed Ngila in early March.

ASSASSiNATION STYLE

According to ABM, after the organisation successfully interdicted the municipality from evicting 109 families, the ANC started working with a well-known family in the taxi business to intimidate people with the aim to vacate the land to make way to build flats. In the latest spades murder of Abahlali, 28-year-old Lindokuhle Mnguni was gunned down at his home in Cato Crest, Durban on Saturday, August 20. It was reported that two gunmen smashed his shack’s window with a spade, kicked down the door and opened fire in his home. His partner, who was with him at the time, was also shot. She is fighting for her life and has undergone a surgery. Mnguni was out prison on bail at the time of his assassination and was due to appear in court to defend himself from murder charge at the time of his death. According to eye witnesses, his two assassins were part of the hit-squad that on March 8 had killed his co-defendant, ABM Khenana branch’s deputy chair Ngila, who was also on bail after having been charged for the same murder.

POLICE MUST TAKE ACTION 

ANC KZN spokesperson Mafika Mndebele said, "We as the ANC KZN distance ourselves from the members who are involved in the criminal acts. The people mentioned are not verified members  but we call on the police to do their job and arrest people who are involved in the criminal activities. If it indeed our members that are involved in killing people, we will revoke their membership. We have consulted with Minister Bheki Cele and our MEC on the matters involving Abahlali Basemjondolo, action will be implemented soon," he said. The KZN had not reverted back at the time of publishing.