Statement: 193 Civil Society and International organisations condemn the assassination of Sikhosiphi Bazooka Rhadebe, chairperson of Amadiba Crisis Committee!

We are shocked and outraged to learn of the brutal murder of the chairperson of Amadiba Crisis Committee, Sikhosiphi Bazooka Rhadebe. As chair of the ACC, Bazooka Rhadebe was helping lead the struggle of Amadiba residents on the Wild Coast in opposing open-cast titanium mining by the Australian mining company MRC.

According to Amadiba Crisis Committee: “The hitmen came in a white Polo with a rotating blue lamp on the roof. Two men knocked at the door saying they were the police. Mr Rhadebe was shot with 8 bullets in the head.”

This is not the first case of intimidation or violence against those who have opposed mining in the area.

Our hearts go out to Bazooka’s family and community.

The assassination of Bazooka is a painful reminder that from abaHlali baseMjondolo to the Helen Suzman Foundation, there is an existing pattern of criminal attacks on civil society formations, especially those in townships, informal settlements and rural areas. For years, poor people’s movements in different parts of the country have experienced regular harassment, intimidation, detention and violence against their members. It is worst felt when the media are far away and the victims are poor, black or rural, and when major industries stand to make billions in profit.

We cannot afford to remain silent in the face of any of these attacks. Every one of them is an attack on democracy itself.

1.    We call for the speedy arrest and successful prosecution of the killers of comrade Bazooka.

2.    We further call on the Human Rights Commission to investigate the systematic process of intimidation that has been orchestrated against those who have stood up against MRC and its lackeys in the area.

3.    We demand that the Minister of Mineral Resources suspends all mining  applications until there has been a full and independent investigation of Rhadebe’s murder!

4.    We demand protection for all members of the Amadiba Crisis Committee and their families!

5.    We call on all progressive forces to stand up in defence of democracy.  End the attacks on our activists and movements!

We will not be bullied and intend to speak out even more strongly than before. The key thing when civil society is being intimidated is to show no fear.

Contribute to the Solidarity Fund: The Amadiba Crisis Committee (ACC) urgently requires funds to assist Bazooka’s family, for transport, and for continuing the struggle and protecting activists in this dangerous moment. You can make donations to the following bank account. Please include the reference as ‘Bazooka Cause’. Please also forward this request for financial assistance on to your networks as well as funding agencies that may be willing to support the ACC.

Sustaining the Wild Coast
First National Bank
Randburg
Acc no: 62157997639
Code: 254005
Swift: FIRNZAJJ
Physical address: cnr Main Ave/Republic Rd, Randburg

Reference: ‘Bazooka Cause’

What else can you do: Appeal to your networks and to the general public to contact the highest offices of the DMR and inundate them with demands to intervene to stop the mining right application process and to protect the anti-mining activists and communities. Here are the contact details of the highest offices of the DMR:

Minister of Mineral Resources: Mr Mosebenzi Zwane

Tel: 012 444 3999

Fax: 012 444 3145

Email: Queen.Poolo@dmr.gov.za (PA)

Deputy Minister of Mineral Resources: Mr Godfrey Oliphant

Tel: 012 444 3956

Fax: 012 341 2228

Email: Kefilwe.Chibogo@dmr.gov.za (PA)

Acting Director-General: Department of Mineral Resources: Mr David Msiza

Tel: 012 444 3000

Fax: 012 341 2228

Email: david.msiza@dmr.gov.za / Nwabisa.Qwanyashe@dmr.gov.za (PA) / Khayalethu.Matrose@dmr.gov.za (Director: Office of the DG)

#StandWithAmadiba #StandForDemocracy

Endorsements: 106 South African CSOs

350Africa.org
ActionAid SA
African Centre for Biodiversity (ACB)
AIDS Foundation of South Africa
Alternative Information & Development Centre, (AIDC)
Awesome SA/ Together SA
Awethu! A People’s Platform for Social Justice
Bench Marks Foundation
Bertha Gxowa Foundation
Biowatch South Africa
Black Sash
Bua Mining Communities
CALUSA
CApe Town TV (CTV)
CASAC
Centre for Civil Society (CCS)
Centre for Environmental Rights (CER)
Centre for Human Rights, Unversity of Pretoria
Co-operative and Policy Alternative Center (COPAC)
Coalition for Environmental Justice (CEJ)
Coast Rights Forum
Coastal Links
Community Media Trust (CMT)
Democracy Works Foundation
Democratic Left Front
Diakonia Council of Churches
East African Climate Consortium Student forum
Economic Justice Network of FOCCISA/AMI
Ekogaia Foundation
Equal Education (EE)
Equal Education UCT Society
Food Soverninty Campaign
Football Against Apartheid
Fossil Free South Africa
Freedom Under Law (FUL)
GenderCC Southern Africa Women for Climate Justice
Global Justice Forum
groundWork
Health of Mother Earth Foundation
Institute for Economic Research on Innovation
Institute for Justice and Reconcilation (IJR)
International Labour Research and Information Group (ILRIG)
International Socialist Movement (SA)
Inyanda National Land Movement
Johannesburg Anglican Environmental Initiative (JAEI)
KeepLeft (Socialism from Below)
Khanyisa Education and Development Trust
Khulumani Support Group
Lawyers for Human Rights (LHR)
Left Students’ Forum
Local Government Action
Marikana Support Campaign
Masifundise
Masifundise Development Trust
Mawubuye Land Rights Movement
Media Monitoring. Africa (MMA)
Media Policy Democarcy Project (MPDP)
MEJCON-SA
Mineral Policy Institute
Ndifuna Ukwazi
Network of Eastern Cape Rural Organisarions (26 organisations)
Noordhoek Environmental Action Group (NEAG)
october6 wits movements
ODAC
Oparation Khanyisa Movement (OKM)
Open Secrets
Oxfam South Africa
Pan Afrikan Reparations Coalition in Europe
Parliamentary Monitoring Group (PMG)
People’s Assembly
Public Service Accountability Monitor (PSAM)
Quaker Peace Centre
Right2Know Campaign (R2K)
Rural Women’s Assembly
Social Justice Coalition (SJC)
Socialist Group
Socialist Initiative
Socio Economic Rights Institute (SERI)
Sonke Gender Justice
South African Food Sovereignty Campaign
South African History Archive (SAHA)
South Durban Community Environmental Alliance
Southern African Faith Communities’ Environment Institute (SAFCEI)
STEPS
Students for Law and Social Justice (SLSJ)
Sustaining the Wild Coast
SWC
Thanda After-School
The Gaia Foundation
The John Lynch Afrikan Education Programme
The People’s Health Movement South Africa
Thembelihle Crisis Committee (TCC)
Timbila Poetry Project
Treatment Action Campaign (TAC)
Trust for Community Outreach and Education (TCOE)
UCT PASMA
Unemployed People’s Movement
Unemployed people’s organisation KZN
United Front
United Front Western Cape
War on Want
Wilderness Action Group
Wilderness Foundation Africa
Women’s Legal Centre
WoMin African Gender and Extractives Alliance
Zandvlei Trust

87 International Organisations

350 vt
Abgefrackt
Aclimatando
African Resources Watch (AFREWATCH)
Afrika Komitee Switzerland
Afrikan Reparations Transnational Community of Practice
Albertina Bay Technologies
Alliance of Pastoralists ffrom Aurunci and Ciociaria (APAC) – Italy
Amigos da Terra Brasil
Asociación autonómica y ambiental Petón do Lobo
Asociación gallega Cova Crea
Athens County (OH, U.S.) Fracking Action Network
BATAK FEDERATION, PALAWAN (THE PHILIPPINES)
BI lebenswertes Korbach e.V.
CATAPA
CEE-HOPE Nigeria
Censat Agua Viva – Amigos de la Tierra Colombia
CESTA – FOE El Salvador
Citizens’ Collective Against Hydraulic Fracking for Methane Gas Department Hérault, France
CIVICUS
Climáximo
COALITION AGAINST LAND GRABBING (CALG) PHILIPPINES
Collectif Causse Méjean – Gaz de schiste NON !
Collectif Stop GHRM 38 French
Colombia Solidarity Campaign, UK
Common Frontiers – Canada
Consumers’ Association of Penang
Corporate Europe Observatory
Daraja Press
Diversencia Foundation
Earthworks
Ecological Society of the Philippines
Ecologistas en Acción
ECOLOGISTAS en Acción
EcoNexus
EMCSO
Engineers without borders Extractive systems and environments
Everett Program for Technology for Social Change–University of California Santa Cruz
Federación ecologista de Costa Rica
Food & Water Watch
Foundation HELP, Tanzania
Friends of the Earth Scotland
Fundacion Arcoiris
Fundar, Centro de Análisis e Investigación
Germany “wir gegen fracking” Lüneburg
Global Afrikan People’s Parliament
Global Diversity Foundation
Global Justice Ecology Project
Global Witness
Green Convergence
Green Times
Greenpeace Africa
Iniciativa Comunales
Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy
Institute of Global Responsibility
International Collective in Support of Fishworkers
International Council for Adult Education
JATAM (Mining Advocacy Network) – Indonesia
Kingston University, London
London Mining Network
Mangrove Action Project
MELCA-Ethiopia
MiningWatch Canada
Move Your Money
NATRIPAL (UNITED TRIBES OF PALAWAN) PHILIPPINES
New York Climate Action Group
News & Letters
Norwegian Peoples Aid
Occupy Bergen County (New Jersey, U.S.A.)
OilWatch Latinoamérica
Oxford Women for Justice and Peace
PHM-Ghana
Publish What You Pay Australia
Publish What You Pay UK
Red Latinoamericana sobre Industrias Extractivas
Salva la Selva /Rettet den Regenwald
SIHDEVAS
SOLIFONDS
The Democracy Center
The Oakland Institute
The Saville Foundation
Time For Africa
Transnational Institute
Vélorution
Velorution idf9
via campésina
YLNM Latin America