Izwe Lethu

01/03/2017

In the words of Professor Clint Le Bruyns: "Bonginkosi Khanyile was always free. He was unjustly caged for the past 5 months, as if he were without human dignity and human rights. Five months...almost half a year...of a young student's life robbed from him."

We mourn the injustice of his imprisonment, yet we celebrate the release of our comrade!

Aluta Continua!

25/02/2017

March yesterday.



Release our comrades!

22/02/2017

It has been a while friends & comrades!

We are breaking our silence to inform you of the march happening this Friday!

This student is the only student in the entire country from last year's protests still behind bars. He has now been imprisoned for over 140 days and has been denied bail on numerous occasions for dubious reasons - all for fighting against injustice in our country!

No more! Join us this Friday as we march!
Details on the picture below!

Aluta Continua!

08/01/2017

We are standing today with Bonginkosi, the last remaining student activist who has now been in jail for more than 100 days.

23/12/2016

Thank you for being part of the Izwe Lethu journey this year. Next year we will continue to strive for God's kingdom upon the earth.

As we have entered this Christmas season, here is a "Christmas song for justice" by Carolyn Winfrey Gillette. These words ring true from South Africa to Syria - from Bonginkosi Khanyile still languishing in jail, to the scores of women and children being executed on the streets of Aleppo.

Aluta Continua!
His Kingdom come!

(Also, the cover photo below is the image of a nativity scene imagined without any Jews, Africans and Arabs or refugees)

https://izwelethublog.wordpress.com/2016/12/23/a-christmas-song-for-justice/

(Taken as an excerpt from the Sojourners Blog, this new hymn is a prayer that the church will work for justice as our gift to Jesus) (Also, the cover photo above is the image of a nativity scene wi…

31/10/2016

Our latest blog post from Jana Niehaus. A reflection on the recent worship night we held with students from around KZN.
Read, reflect & share!

https://izwelethublog.wordpress.com/2016/10/31/a-reflection-on-the-izwe-lethu-worship-night/

It is with great hesitation that I am writing these words. I fear that the words I have selected to use here are completely inadequate to describe what happened at the Izwe Lethu worship night and …

30/10/2016

Bishop Ruben Phillips taught us powerfully yesterday, helping us gain a greater understanding of black consciousness, liberation theology and decolonized Christianity. Aluta!

27/10/2016

We're going to be going live soon for dialogue. Watch this space!

19/10/2016

On other news, our white allies will be hosting another WHITES ONLY dialogue on Thursday 27 October.

In light of the call for decolonized free education & the words of Steve Biko, they have responded: “The white liberal must apply himself with absolute dedication to the idea of educating his white brothers that the history of the country may have to be rewritten at some stage and that we may live in a country where colour will not serve to put man in a box…”

NB: We intentionally want this space to be an ONLY WHITE SPACE for white people to engage. Contrary to popular belief, it is not "exclusionary" nor "unhelpful" to create engagement within spaces of specific identity; rather it's a way of engaging that proves more effective and strategic in the long run. It will also be a safe & authentic space for engagement SO PLEASE INVITE YOUR WHITE FRIENDS!

19/10/2016

If you're a POET or ARTIST of any kind who has content to bring into this space (content that speaks about where we are as a people & nation at this time), please contact Michael (0835714968) to get involved.

REMINDER: this Saturday is an attempt to decolonize the Christian worship space & create a safe, authentic space for our nation's pain & anger to be brought before Christ! Al welcome & it's free entry!

18/10/2016

Our nation has never been more in need of sacred spaces where our deep historical pain, anger & brokenness can be voiced & processed before Christ.

Come join us this Saturday evening to be part of an experiment in "decolonising" the worship space & opening it up for honest engagement before God in relation to our lives and our nation at this time. All are welcome & it's free entry!

17/10/2016

As Izwe Lethu, we 100% endorse this theological study document relating to

Read it, endorse it & share it! Aluta!

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1zIAKtKhIPDy9WYMY3BCmNwR5UHnwQD6kKKGH7TCvkFg/pub

Should you want to endorse this Call for Critical Engagement, please confirm your endorsement via e-mail to [email protected] by Wednesday 19th October 2016.

Your name will then be added to the endorsement before it gets distributed to a wider audience. Until the 19th it will only be distributed to theologians at universities and in the church.
After the 19th we would invite suggestions for forms which such engagement might take, apart from continuing our current and diverse engagements wherever we are.

Nadine Bowers-Du Toit, Stellenbosch University
Stephan de Beer, University of Pretoria
Elina Hankela, Research Associate, YOMA Research Project
Lerato Kobe, University of Pretoria
JNJ (Klippies) Kritzinger, University of South Africa
Clint Le Bruyns, University of KwaZulu-Natal
Reggie Nel, University of South Africa
Cobus van Wyngaard, University of South Africa
Vuyani Vellem, University of Pretoria

We, a group of concerned theologians, working on South African University campuses that have become militarized by police and private security firms, as well as other concerned theologians, inspired by our heritage of prophetic engagement in public life and deeply concerned with the volatile conflic...