S'bu Zikode

A presentation by S'bu Zikode at the Regional Consultation on Security of Tenure called by UN Special Rapporteur on adequate housing, Raquel Rolnik, in Johannesburg

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I have been invited by the National Economic and Social Rights Initiative to come to the United States of America to speak, to learn and to share our experiences of struggle in South Africa.

It gives me great pleasure to be invited into the United States of America to speak, not only my mind but a collective mind of many Abahlali members. I only get these invitations because of the movement I am part of, so I thank Abahlali baseMjondolo Movement SA.

It is very nice to re-imagine the city. We can all start to imagine cities with good housing for everyone and then we can imagine affordable public transport and safe streets with beautiful trees, cool shady parks and welcoming schools, clinics, libraries and sports clubs.

The ANC has invaded Kennedy Road. We have been arrested, beaten, killed, jailed and made homeless by their armed wing. This is what it took for Yakoob Baig and Jackson Gumede to finally take back the settlement.

S'bu Zikode, elected head of South African shackdwellers’ movement Abahlali baseMjondolo, presented the following paper at a colloquium on the topic of 'Meaningful Engagement' hosted by CALS (Centre for Applied Legal Studies) at the

S’bu Zikode is the elected president of Abahlali baseMjondolo, a radical and radically democratic shackdwellers’ movement in South Africa that has committed itself to waging its struggles independently from party-political and NGO control.[1]