Braam Hanekom

Braam Hanekom, whose english name is Abram Hanekom, is a Zimbabwean born South African refugee rights activist. He is named after Bram Fischer and is the son of Kallie Hanekom and Professor Jennifer Jelsma. He was born on the 5th of February in 1984, in Harare, into a family with strong links to the African National Congress during the time of aparthied in South Africa. His uncle Derek Hanekom and aunt Trish Hanekom spent 3 years in jail for their involvement in the African National Congress during his childhood. He left Zimbabwe after leaving school to assist the Movement for Democratic Change in their 2002 presidential campaign. He then moved to Cape Town, South Africa where his family lives. His childhood in Zimbabwe strongly influenced his views on refugees and he is fluent in Shona. He is a founding member and the current chairperson of PASSOP. [http://www.passop.co.za/home] . He is an activist in the fight for the rights of immigrants, asylum seekers and refugees [http://reuters.viewdle.com/search?q=Braam+Hanekom] . He writes a weekly column for a newspaper the zimbabwean. [http://www.thezimbabwean.co.uk] During the end of 2007 and beginning of 2008 he was arrested four times for different protest actions, in three of the four arrests charges were withdrawn by the state. [http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=15&art_id=vn20080109110624361C764561] He is sueing the South African Police Service for unlawful arrest and failure to comply with proceedures. During the same period he was instrumental in exposing the crisis at refugee centres in South Africa. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7090730.stm] He remains an active member of the ANC an is a member of his ANC branch executive commitee BEC.

References

External links

* [http://www.passop.co.za/home Homepage: People Against Suffering Suppression Oppression and Poverty]
* [http://www.thezimbabwean.co.uk/ The Zimbabwean: "PASSOP Watch a weekly column" ]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mGn3-dZQFfQ Video on Refugees in Cape Town: "I am.. refugees trying to legalise themselves" ]
* [http://www.vocfm.co.za/public/articles.php?Articleid=39578 The Voice of the Cape: "PASSOP Takes Immigrant Issues to SAHRC" 22/07/2008]
* [http://www.unhcr.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/refweekly?ref=4fc40620&page=47b55d211c: Cape Town destination for Refugees]
* [http://antieviction.org.za/2008/03/19/solidarity-passop-protest-against-victimization-of-somalians/ PASSOP Press Statement: Somalian Victimization 19/03/2008]
* [http://www.abahlali.org/node/3695 PASSOP Press Conference 10/06/2008]
* [http://www.abahlali.org/taxonomy/term/544 PASSOP Press Statements: Solidarity 2007-2008]
* [http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=139&art_id=vn20080718115938814C510608 Cape Argus: "New Reception Office to Risky for Refugees" 18/07/2008]
* [http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=3069&art_id=vn20080710054824971C327450 Cape Times: "Activist Threatened in Xenophobic Attack" 10/07/2008]
* [http://reuters.viewdle.com/video/La%20mort%20dun%20r%C3%83%C2%A9fugi%C3%83%C2%A9%20zimbabw%C3%83%C2%A9en%20remet%20%C3%83%C2%A0%20lordre%20du%20jour%20la%20question%20...?vid=A309-SOUTHAFRICA-ASYLUMSEEKERS-1196777558.mpg&pid=db30051783d9b9599a6cc13be9872625 Reuters: "Braam in a video interview about the death of Adonis Musati, a Zimbabwean who starved to death" 30/11/2007]