South Africa: Human rights defender's life in danger

Nomsa Sizani is the former General Secretary of Abahlali baseMjondolo (AbM). She is 52 years old and has four surviving children. Her son, Samuel Hloele, was allegedly shot by the eThekwini Anti-Land Invasion Unit according to AbM reports. He is included in the total of 25 members of AbM that they count as having been killed since 2009.

AbM members and activists are determined to improve the lives of poor communities who are still denied their human rights such as adequate housing, water and sanitation. They have spoken out against cases of local government corruption and worked hard to improve the conditions in their community by starting a political school, farm, communal kitchen and shop. In return, they have been met with not just resistance but harassment, intimidation and threats. They have been victims of murders, violence, harassment, and damage to their homes.

The threats and targeting of Nomsa Sizani and members of AbM must be seen against a backdrop of a greater pattern of violence and killings of human rights defenders in South Africa. South Africa’s high levels of poverty and inequality, compounded with widespread unemployment and the lack of access to adequate services, has led to a breeding ground of social, political, and economic unrest. It is human rights defenders who are risking their lives to protect the people of South Africa, by combating corruption, advocating for human rights, or fighting to better the lives of others. Yet, they are treated with disdain or worse by the state with little or nothing being done to protect and promote their human rights and to bring suspected perpetrators to justice.

The KZN province where Nomsa Sizani operates is a hotbed for political killings. Between 2000-2021, 418 politically motivated hits were recorded nationwide. Of these, 118 took place in KZN.  One of the contributing factors to political violence in KZN is competition over local councillor positions. Councillors have access to political power that can be used to acquire resources – for example, through tenders – which can lead to corruption. Human rights defenders like Nomsa Sizani who expose the wrongdoings of government officials, often face severe risks from the people they seek to hold accountable.

The harassment, intimidation threats and unlawful killings of human rights defenders is a direct attack on civil society. These violations are part of a systemic attempt to intimidate and silence activists in South Africa, undermine movements, like AbM, and discourage others from defending human rights. 

In 2023, as part of its annual Write for Rights Campaign, Amnesty International campaigned for the protection of another leader within the ABM, Thapelo Mohapi, who also has had to go into hiding following death threats he has been receiving.