In loving memory of Mncedisi Mbatha Campaign

Mr Big’s social programmes had an important echo in Khayelitsha and beyond. Various grassroot and progressive organizations then head-hunted him for the quality of his social activism. That was soon after May 2008, when xenophobic attacks occurred all over the country, and against which Mr Big took a strong public stand in Khayelitsha. While he managed to limit the impact of such attacks in his area, Mr Big remained alarmed by rising dynamics of xenophobic violence in South Africa. For that reason, he joined ARESTA, the Agency for Refugee Education Skills Training and Advocacy in 2009. He soon became the programme director of a massive and unprecedented "anti-xenophobia campaigns". For more than ten years, Mr Big relentlessly visited schools around capetonian townships, to educate learners and communities about refugees’ rights, to promote tolerance and dialogue. Faithful to the revolutionnary tradition set up by the Freedom Charter in 1955, Mr Big always reminded his audiences that “South Africa belongs to all the people who live it” and that all residents should enjoy the same degree of rights and freedom, regardless of their places of birth. As a freedom fighter during apartheid, Mr Big participated in bringing down the walls of racism and intolerance and in setting the fondations of democracy. As a social activist and a public educator going under the moto “Ubuntu has no borders”, Mr Big created bridges of peace, empathy and compassion between communities, and helped consolidating the pillars of South Africa’s young democracy. In the current times, as discrimination and predatory practices against non-South Africans are becoming all but too common, Mr Big’s social and political legacy of inclusiveness and tolerance remain a great inspiration for us all, and shall never be forgotten!

My name is Rodolphe Demeestère. I am a French academic who worked as Mr Big's trainees at ARESTA. As a sociologist, I benefited from Mr Big's constant support and got the immense priviledge to live with Mr Big's family in Khayelitsha for two years. Mr Big was a socialist, a man of the people. He was also a loving husband and a devoted father of four daughters – Zizipho, Nanziwe, Phelo, Siyanda -, and two sons – Sibusiso and Iviwe.This campaign aims at financially relieving the Mbatha's. My goal is to raise enough money for Mr Big's children to carry on with their studies, embrace their dreams, and shine as their father did.