Singumhlaba Sidl’umhlaba is a short documentary produced by the 2024 Tv 3 class of Rhodes University’s School of Journalism and Media Studies. Set in the rural village of Xolobeni on South Africa’s Wild Coast, the film tells the story of a community’s resistance against an Australian mining company, Mineral Commodities Ltd (MRC), which sought to extract heavy minerals from their land through its subsidiary, Mineral Sands Resources.

Vast, breathtaking, and rich in minerals, the land is not only ecologically significant but also central to this Eastern Cape community’s self-sufficiency and identity. The film centres on the life and assassination of activist Sikhosiphi “Bazooka” Rhadebe, who was killed in 2016 while defending his community’s right to say no.

The documentary explores the clash between profit-driven development and traditional land rights, offering a powerful account of environmental justice, resistance, and the high cost of activism in South Africa.