The Birth of the Social Justice Coalition: From Anti-Xenophobia to Sanitation and Township Safety

The Social Justice Coalition (SJC) came into being during the xenophobic attacks of 2008 to address the violence against foreigners, particularly those from other parts of Africa. Within a year, its focus had shifted to challenging the government for sanitation—clean toilets in the townships—and safety against crime and bodily injury. This chapter describes Majola’s role in building SJC, its shifting priorities, and SJC’s use of the social audit as a tool for the empowerment of township residents and a means to hold municipal government accountable to communities. The chapter also discusses Majola’s departure from SJC and the rupture in his friendship with his mentor, Zackie Achmat.