The political elites affecting people’s lives.

Zamokwakhe Shabalala

Human Rights Day in South Africa is celebrated on the 21st of March every year. For the 2024 celebrations, we visited the Sigidi community in the Eastern Cape, in the Xolobeni district. On this day we come together to commemorate and remember those comrades who were assassinated because they were informing the people and capacitating them to protect their land. They also taught the people about both their human and environmental rights as set in the S.A. Bill of Rights.

When we got close to the Sigidi community with our motorcade it was full of comrades from different provinces. We found the road blocked with big stones by the community members who are related to the ward councilor. They did this because they felt that the Amadiba Crisis blocked the much-needed development and had political aspirations. We will remember that the Amadiba crisis committee is protecting the Pondoland and fighting against Shell company that wants to extract Oil and gas from the ocean.

We also have SANRAL, together with the Department of Environmental Affairs. They were forced to build an N2 inland road in Mbizane. Since 2017 the ACC has been lobbying to convince SANRAL to move the N2 highway route from Amadiba Coast in Mbizane to an alternative route further inland. The High Court ruling was granted and it gave them power to decide about the development (Fpic). They have a right to say No. Many communities around Amajuba District started questioning the motives of the mines and other industries.

The most important thing that I observed in ACC is the good relationship they have with chiefs and kings to protect the land of Amampondo, this is impossible in other communities (KwaZulu Natal, Free State, Mpumalanga, Limpopo, and Namaqualand). In these areas the mines or cooperative industry affect people’s lives, evicting them from their land in the presence of chiefs, farm owners, Government officials, and sellout comrades. The Right to Say No movement is helping us all to protect our forefathers’ land fight against injustice and give people the power to act.

When we came across a roadblock with big stones, Nonhle Mbuthuma was addressing the community about the matter that we were facing. They were engaging with the police, and after that, we removed the stones while comrades from Ntembeni sang revolutionary songs. The event was successful because we were together with the amaBhaca king, together with the chiefs, the Tshwane king from Limpopo, and all the other kings and chiefs from the Amadiba community. To meet these different nations they show a sign of unity and their willingness to protect their lands. ATM president and Saftu were also present to celebrate a human rights day together with the Amadiba community.

Our main focus is to learn from ACC strategies collaborate our struggles, and share skills to fight against cooperative industries. As we come from different provinces we’re fighting against a common enemy, no matter whether the struggle is based on the coast or inland.