The Right Reverend Rubin Phillip (b. circa 1948) is bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Natal.[1] The great-grandchild of indentured labourers from Andhra Pradesh, Phillip is the first black South African to hold the position of Bishop of Natal. He grew up in Clairwood, a suburb of Durban with a large concentration of people of Indian ethnicity, in a non-religious household, but converted to Christianity before being enthroned as bishop in February 2000.[2] He was a noted anti-apartheid activist and spent three years under house arrest in the 1970s.[3]
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Phillip was involved in the Black Consciousness Movement and was the Deputy President of the South African Student's Organisation in 1969 when Steve Biko was President.[4]
In 2008, Phillip successfully obtained a court order preventing arms shipments destined for Zimbabwe from being transported through South Africa.[5][6] He is chair of the Zimbabwe Solidarity Forum in South Africa.[7]
Phillip has been a strong supporter of the shack dwellers movement' Abahlali baseMjondolo.[8] He has attended meetings, memorials, mass ecumenical prayers, marches and UnFreedom Day[9] hosted by Abahlali baseMjondolo and has supported the organisation's legal battle to have the KZN Slums Act declared unconstitutional.[10][11] In September 2009, he condemned the violent expulsion of Abahlali baseMjondolo from the Kennedy Road informal settlement blaming political interference and stating that "this militia has acted with the support of the local ANC structures".[12]. He supported the movement through the case that followed the attack.[13]
He has also said that: "If we can successfully host a massive event like the World Cup, spending billions, then why can't we provide water, electricity and housing for a handful of shack dwellers?"[14]
In 2009 the Bishop was given the Bremen International Peace Aware on the grounds of his work in the struggle against apartheid and his ongoing work "to offer solidarity to the displaced people, victims of persecutions and detainees".[15]
In August 2010 the Bishop was given the Diakonia award in recognition of "his involvement with the anti apartheid movement as far back as the 1960s, through his advocacy and involvement in the Zimbabwe crisis to his solidarity with the shack dwellers movement, Abahlali baseMjondolo." He dedicated the award to "shack dwellers, especially those from Kennedy Road and all those who have stood in solidarity with them."[16][17]