ANTI-PRIVATISATION FORUM SOWETO ELECTRICITY CRISIS COMMITTEE (SECC) PRESS RELEASE (MONDAY 21ST NOVEMBER 2005)

LEADING ANTI-PRIVATISATION FORUM (APF) ACTIVIST AND ORGANISER OF THE SOWETO ELECTRICITY CRISIS COMMITTEE (SECC) - BONGANI LUBISI - PASSED AWAY LAST WEDNESDAY AFTER A BRIEF ILLNESS

MEMORIAL SERVICE (ON WEDNESDAY 23RD) AND MASS FUNERAL (ON SATURDAY 26TH) TO BE HELD IN SOWETO

MEMORIAL SERVICE: Wednesday (23rd) - 13h00 at the Career Centre (take Old Potch Road and at Bara Hospital, turn right into Immink Dr. - Centre located next to BP Garage complex)

MASS FUNERAL: Saturday (26th) - Gathering from 07h00 at the Pimville Community Centre (take Old Potch Road and then turn right into Modjadji St. - pass Pimville Square and Centre is on your right - green building). Procession to Avalon Cemetery for burial at 11h00.

(**The funeral will be proceeded by an all-night vigil on Friday - 25th - to be held at 110 Sunvalley Rd. in Pimville)

For those wanting to make a donation to Bongani’s family, you can deposit money into the following account of the ‘Soweto Electricity Crisis Committee’ (please mark deposit for ‘Bongani’: Bank: Standard Bank Branch: Jabulani Code: 6805 Account No.: 003088103

BONGANI LUBISI, a leading activist within the APF and also organiser for the SECC, tragically passed away at Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital last Wednesday after a brief illness. Bongani was part of the initial group of activists and community organisations that formed the APF in 1999, and became a well-known and respected activist and leader. Bongani was instrumental in organising and sustaining the now-famous OPERATION KHANYISA (reconnecting those cut-off from their electricity supply) in Soweto, and over the last two years had also been at the forefront of OPERATION VULAMANZI (removing and by-passing pre-paid water meters and other restrictive water supply measures forced onto the poor). Bongani was a fearless community activist, socialist and fighter for the poor. While Bongani will be greatly missed by all APF activists and community organisations, the struggles that he was so much a part of will continue and be intensified - that’s exactly what Bongani would have wanted.

The APF and SECC invite all activists, social movements, community organisations, progressive NGOs, the media and sympathetic individuals to attend both the Memorial Service and Mass Funeral to be held for Bongani in Soweto later this week. All of the APF’s 22 community affiliates will be represented (in numbers) at the Mass Funeral.

LONG LIVE THE MEMORY OF COMRADE BONGANI LUBISI!

YOU WILL ALWAYS BE REMEMBERED AS A DEDICATED SOCIALIST AND A FIGHTER FOR BASIC SERVICES AND DIGNITY FOR THE POOR!!

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: NONHLANHLA on 083 760-6850