Nqobile Nzuza was a resident in the Marikana Land Occupation in Cato Crest, which is part of

Cato Manor Cato Manor is a working-class area located from the city centre of Durban, South Africa. It was formed when Indian market gardeners came to settle in the area some time after it was given to George Christopher Cato in 1865, who was the first m ...

Durban Durban ( ) ( zu, eThekwini, from meaning 'the port' also called zu, eZibubulungwini for the mountain range that terminates in the area), nicknamed ''Durbs'',Ishani ChettyCity nicknames in SA and across the worldArticle on ''news24.com'' from ...

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...

. She was a member of the shackdwellers' movement

Abahlali baseMjondolo Abahlali baseMjondolo (AbM, , in English: "the residents of the shacks") is a socialist shack dwellers' movement in South Africa which organises land occupations, builds communes

Death

On 30 September 2013, at the age of 17 years, Ms. Nzuza was shot dead in the back of her head during an anti-eviction protest organised by Marikana residents. She was the third member of Abahlali baseMjondolo killed that year. The Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) later opened a case of murder against the Cato Manor police. Police admitted to shooting Nzuza, and another resident who was wounded, but claimed they were acting in self-defence. Representatives of Abahlali baseMjondolo said it was the fault of the police.

Aftermath

The death caused significant controversy. When

Bandile Mdlalose Bandile Mdlalose was the general secretary of the South African shackdwellers' movement Abahlali baseMjondolo. She is now the President of the Community Justice Movement which operates in some informal settlements of Gauteng and KwaZulu Natal. Sh ...

visited Nzuza's family, she was arrested. There were a range of letters and statements on the matter by well-known US based academics such as

Noam Chomsky Avram Noam Chomsky (born December 7, 1928) is an American public intellectual: a linguist, philosopher, cognitive scientist, historian, social critic, and political activist. Sometimes called "the father of modern linguistics", Chomsky is ...

Letter from Chomsky, Zizek, et al
to

Jacob Zuma Jacob Gedleyihlekisa Zuma (; born 12 April 1942) is a South African politician who served as the fourth president of South Africa from 2009 to 2018. He is also referred to by his initials JZ and clan name Msholozi, and was a former anti-aparth ...

, President, Republic of South Africa, 4 October 2013 and Anglican Bishop

Rubin Phillip Rubin Phillip (born ) is bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Natal. The great-grandchild of indentured labourers from Andhra Pradesh, Phillip is the first of East Indian heritage in South Africa to hold the position of Bishop of Natal. He grew up ...

. Chomsky wrote a letter to the '' Mail & Guardian'' newspaper in

Johannesburg Johannesburg ( , , ; Zulu and xh, eGoli ), colloquially known as Jozi, Joburg, or "The City of Gold", is the largest city in South Africa, classified as a megacity, and is one of the 100 largest urban areas in the world. According to Demo ...

along with other signatories, which included

Slavoj Zizek Slavoj may refer to: * Karel Slavoj Amerling (1807–1884), Czech teacher, writer, and philosopher * Slavoj Černý (born 1937), Czech former cyclist *Slavoj Žižek Slavoj Žižek (, ; ; born 21 March 1949) is a Slovenian philosopher, cultu ...

Judith Butler Judith Pamela Butler (born February 24, 1956) is an American philosopher and gender theorist whose work has influenced political philosophy, ethics, and the fields of third-wave feminism, queer theory, and literary theory. In 1993, Butler ...

and John Holloway. They urged

, President of South Africa and

James Nxumalo James Sikhosiphi Nxumalo (born 12 February 1965) is a South African politician who has represented the African National Congress (ANC) in the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Legislature since 2019. He was formerly the Mayor of eThekwini from 2011 to ...

, the local Mayor to put an end to the violent attacks on activists and their homes.

Conviction

In 2018 a Cato Manor police officer, Phumlani Ndlovu, was convicted of murder and was sentenced to ten years in prison. The trial lasted 5 years. Nzuza's family declared themselves unhappy with the verdict.Abahlali baseMjondolo: Living Politics
Socio-Economic Rights Institute of South Africa, September 2022

References

{{Abahlali baseMjondolo 2013 in South Africa Nzuza, Nqobile Housing in South Africa Nzuza, Nqobile Nzuza, Nqobile Nzuza, Nqobile Nzuza, Nqobile Nzuza, Nqobile Nzuza, Nqobile History of Durban

Death

Aftermath

Conviction

See also

References