Nqobile Nzuza was a resident in the
Marikana Land Occupation in Cato Crest, which is part of
Cato Manor in
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 Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the Atlantic Ocean, South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the ...
. 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 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 i ...
[Letter from Chomsky, Zizek, et al](_blank)
to Jacob Zuma, President, Republic of South Africa, 4 October 2013 and Anglican Bishop
Rubin Phillip.
Chomsky wrote a letter to the ''
Mail & Guardian
The ''Mail & Guardian'' is a South African weekly newspaper and website, published by M&G Media in Johannesburg, South Africa. It focuses on political analysis, investigative reporting, Southern African news, local arts, music and popular cult ...
'' 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 Dem ...
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 and
John Holloway. They urged
Jacob Zuma, President of South Africa and
James Nxumalo, 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
See also
* Nkululeko Gwala
* Political repression in post-apartheid South Africa
* Protests in South Africa
South Africa has been dubbed "the protest capital of the world", with one of the highest rates of public protests in the world.
It is often argued that the rate of protests has been escalating since 2004, but Steven Friedman argues that the cur ...
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