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DATE: 21 October 2024
Human rights defenders march on Union Buildings demanding protection for activists and whistleblowers
Pretoria, South Africa, Tuesday 22 October 2024. More than 1000 activists are expected to march to the Union Building to demand justice and an end to the violence, threats, and intimidation aimed at activists and whistleblowers. These activists, community members, and civil society organisations will deliver a memorandum addressed to the President, Ministers of Police and Justice and their respective Portfolio Committee Chairs. 81 community based and civil society organisations have signed on to the memorandum.
In this year alone, two human rights defenders were killed in one community in Melmoth. In March this year, activist Mbekiseni Mavuso survived an attempt on his life which claimed the life of his fellow activist Mbekiseni Dladla in the Makhasneni village in northern Kwazulu Natal. In June this year Sbusiso Hlogwane, an activist opposing the expansion of Jindal mining operations was gunned down in Nkwalini village. All three are from Melmoth, an area earmarked for a proposed iron ore mine by Indian mining giant Jindal.
“The mine is a massive eviction project being sold to us as an opportunity for development. We have seen how these mining projects only benefit a few and leave irreparable damage on communities and the environment. They can threaten us all they want, we won’t stop fighting,” said Mavuso.
In Newcastle, activist Thoko Nkosi has had to go into hiding after she received threatening phone calls and messages from anonymous people. Nkosi is an environmental activist opposing the mining in the area of Mbabane in Newcastle where the operations of Ikwezi Coal mine has negatively impacted nearby communities. She has been active in resistance to the proposed Future Coal mine in an area called Hope Farm.
“I fear for my life and my family. I reported the matter to the police but they did nothing about it, they didn’t even open a case.” said Thoko Nkosi of Sukumani Environmental Movement.
On the 5th of June this year, community members in Somkhele had to call off a protest against Tendele Mine after the protesters were threatened by armed men in the presence of the police in Somkhele. The community was protesting against the expansion of the mine which continues to displace families in the area. This is the same area where activist Fikile Ntshangase was gunned down at her home in front of her grandchild four years ago. There have been no arrests or prosecutions. Tuesday marks exactly 4 years since her brutal murder on 22 october 2020.
“Our lives were threatened by men carrying heavy weapons in full view and in the presence of the police who did nothing. We have a right to say NO. We continue to live in fear for expressing our rights. Fikile Ntshangase was killed in 2020 but there has been nothing from the police.” Nontobeko Msweli of Umfolozi Community Environmental Justice Organisation.
To date, 24 activists from Abahlali Basemjondolo have been killed since 2009 for fighting for their land rights. The killing and intimidation of activists and whistleblowers especially in areas where mining and minerals expansion and prospecting is taking place, continues to spread. In most cases these human rights violations go unpunished while our Department of Forestry Fisheries and the Environment appears to be slow to enforce Section 24 regulations and our Department of Mineral Resources and Energy appears to encourage rampant expansion and prospecting by unscrupulous companies that appear to operate destructively with impunity.
DETAILS:
WHEN: Tuesday 22 October, 2024
WHERE: Pretoria – City of Tshwane
Starting Point: Old bus terminal – Struben street
End Point: Union Building
Time: 09:00 – 14:00
ENDS
For media enquiries contact
Tsepang Molefe, groundWork Media Campaigner:
Nomatter Ndebele, CER Communications Coordinator:
Carina Conradie, Life After Coal Coordinator:
Resources:
Visit our campaign website: www.defendourdefenders.org.za/
Profiles of killed human rights defenders: https://defendourdefenders.org.za/remembering-our-defenders/
Our publications: https://defendourdefenders.org.za/publications/
Defend Our Defenders Booklet: https://lifeaftercoal.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Defend-Our-Defenders-booklet-for-web.pdf
Defend Our Defenders Pamphlet: https://lifeaftercoal.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/PAMP-DIGITAL-2.pdf
Video clips:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Dh6hrUn1qg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=morRIS-sr7k
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/V6CTke11XwU
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/BgcuE8bMHhU
