As you may be aware, 22 May 2016, will mark the second-month anniversary of South African community and land rights activist Sikhosiphi Rhadebe’s brutal murder in the Eastern Cape province. To mark this sad occasion, we are hoping to get a critical mass of civil society organisations from around the world to express their solidarity through a sign on letter.
Mr Rhadebe was the chair of the Amadiba Crisis Committee which is engaged in an unequal struggle against titanium mining operations in South Africa’ s pristine Wild Coast region. The local community is concerned that dust generated by open cast mining will cause severe health problems and use up scarce communal water sources. Mining activities could also possibly lead to relocation of the local community and interfere with agricultural activities.
Mr Rhadebe was shot multiple times by unknown assailants on 22 March 2016. More information on the circumstances that led to his assassination and about attacks on the Amadiba Crisis Committee can be found here.
Of great concern is that the directorate of investigations (also known the Hawks) to whom the case has been assigned appears to have made little or no progress in bringing the perpetrators to book. There has also been no strong public condemnation of the assassination of Mr Rhadebe by any senior South African government official.
The Amadiba Crisis Committee needs your support and solidarity. We request you to kindly sign this letter to South African President Jacob Zuma urging him to condemn Mr Rhadebe’s killing, bring the perpetrators to justice and to protect members of the Amadiba Crisis Committee from further persecution.
To sign on please click here.
Please kindly ensure all sign on is complete by 20 May 2016.