The Abahlali baseMjondolo ((AbM) celebrated its 20th anniversary at Curries Fountain Sports Centre in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, on Saturday, 4 October 2025.
In response to the government’s failure to deliver essential services in shack-dwelling communities, Abahlali baseMjondolo took to the streets to demand action and accountability.
The movement cited persistent neglect and the lack of access to resources of informal settlements, highlighting the urgent need for improved living conditions and basic services.
ABAHLALI BASEMJONDOLO CELEBRATES TWO DECADES OF EXISTENCE
General Secretary of Abahlali baseMjondolo, Thapelo Mohapi, said that the organisation has grown with more members joining over the years.
“Our movement started with 32 settlements and fewer than 500 members, but today, we have more than 180 000 members in five of South Africa’s nine provinces.”
Highlighting the movements’ achievements, Mohapi mentioned that they once sued the government for the injustices that occurred to people who lived in shacks and won the case.
“We have also won a landmark case called Aslam’s Act, where the legislature in this province [KwaZulu-Natal] passed a law that will allow the government to evict any shack settlement and we took that to the concourt (Constitutional Court) and won,” Mohapi said.
MOVEMENT’S FREEDOM CAME AT THE EXPENSE OF LIVES
Despite its significant milestones, the movement has paid a heavy price, with 25 activists losing their lives in the fight for justice.
Mohapi recalled that 14 activists were assassinated while the others were shot during protests by police.
Lindani Mtolo, an AbM member, said that he also lost a friend during a protest years ago.
“I have also lost a friend during one of the protests in Durban. It is so painful that we have to be killed for fighting for our rights. Even our late Chairperson of the eKhanana community, Lindokuhle Mnguni, was shot dead in August 2022. But we will continue the fight and resilience for shack dwellers,” Mtolo mentioned.
TREATMENT ACTION CAMPAIGN SHOWS SUPPORT FOR ABAHLALI BASEMJONDOLO
The Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) extended its congratulations and profound solidarity for the AbM’s 20th anniversary.
Sibongile Tshabalala-Madhlala, National Chairperson of Treatment Action Campaign said that the struggle waged by Abahlali baseMjondolo for land, housing, and basic sanitation is the same struggle that the TAC has fought for.
She said, “Both our movements stand on the common ground of fighting for the right to life, as enshrined in our Constitution, against the forces of neglect, corruption, and systemic inequality that seek to deny the poor their rightful place in society.”
In closing, Madhlala said that as the fight to strengthen the public health system continues, they will continue to support AbM.
