EFF SENDS REVOLUTIONARY CONDOLENCES ON THE PASSING OF SIKHOSIPHI ‘BAZOOKA’ RHADEBE

26 March 2016

The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) is shocked and outraged to learn of the brutal murder of Mr. Sikhosiphi ‘Bazooka’ Rhadebe, chair of Amadiba Crisis Committee (ACC). Mr. Rhadebe, who actively and courageously led the residents of Amadiba on the Wild Coast to oppose opencast titanium mining by MRC, a mineral resources company listed on the Australian Stock Exchange, was brutally murdered at his home, shot 8 times in the head by two men who knocked at his house saying they were police officers.

It is evident that the lives of black, poor and rural communities such as Amadiba and many more others, does not matter. Foreign multinational do everything including acts of barbarism to deal with voices of dissent from communities where they stand to make billions of profit despite threats to environment, economic and social systems of communities. The intimidation and violence by foreign multinationals such as Australian mining company MRC on our people is only permissible when relevant authorities chose to ignore grievances and evidence brought to their attention.

The EFF condemns with strongest possible terms acts of barbarism, intimidation and violence by corrupt officials of the Department of Mineral Resources and greedy Australian mining company MRC. The EFF will write to the Minister of Mineral Resources to withdraw permanently MRC mining licenses and to request the Minister to suspend companies operations in South Africa with immediate effects.

The EFF would like to convey its revolutionary condolences to the Rhadebe family, friends and civic organisation community. The EFF would further commend the residents of Amadiba for their courageous acts to stand up against multinationals greed in the absence of vigilant state and decisive leadership.

We must intensify our fight to nationalise land and mineral resources to stop the looting of our resources, and ensure that the hard work of Mr. Rhadebe is not in vein. May his soul rest in peace.

The need to obtain the agreement of the community before allowing any foreign based company to utilise their land for commercial purposes otherwise their amounts to a colonial type of land acquisition which the people are entitled to resist.

Statement issued by the Economic Freedom Fighters, 26 March 2016