Ben Mafani is an activist from Glenmore in the

Eastern Cape The Eastern Cape is one of the provinces of South Africa. Its capital is Bhisho, but its two largest cities are East London and Gqeberha. The second largest province in the country (at 168,966 km2) after Northern Cape, it was formed in ...

province of South Africa. He is a member of the Unemployed Peoples' Movement. He has been referred to as 'the Mandela of Glenmore'.

History

In 1979 Mafani was arrested while leading the resistance to a forced removal in Coega, near

Port Elizabeth Gqeberha (), formerly Port Elizabeth and colloquially often referred to as P.E., is a major seaport and the most populous city in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. It is the seat of the Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality, Sou ...

. People were forcibly removed to Glenmore in the former

Bantustan A Bantustan (also known as Bantu homeland, black homeland, black state or simply homeland; ) was a territory that the National Party administration of South Africa set aside for black inhabitants of South Africa and South West Africa (now N ...

known as the

Ciskei Ciskei (, or ) was a Bantustan for the Xhosa people-located in the southeast of South Africa. It covered an area of , almost entirely surrounded by what was then the Cape Province, and possessed a small coastline along the shore of the Indian O ...

. A number of people died soon after the forced removal, as a result of the conditions in Glenmore, including Mafani's wife and three children. After apartheid he wrote numerous letters to officials requesting restitution for the forced removal. When these were ignored he threw three painted stones through the window of the High Court in

Grahamstown Makhanda, also known as Grahamstown, is a town of about 140,000 people in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. It is situated about northeast of Port Elizabeth and southwest of East London, Eastern Cape, East London. Makhanda is the lar ...

in 2004 and 2007 and again in 2012. He has been found guilty of breaking windows in the High Court on three occasions. He has spent several periods in prison. He also attempted, thus far without success, to get restitution through the courts.The Fight for Glenmore Takes Shape
Andile Nayika, Fri 17 Sep 2010, ''Grahamstown Now''

References

Short Film

Ben Mafani fights for development and dignity
June 2013 {{DEFAULTSORT:Mafani, Ben Housing in South Africa South African activists Members of the South African Unemployed Peoples' Movement Living people 20th-century squatters Squatter leaders Year of birth missing (living people)

History

References

Further Reading & Information

Short Film