Rubin Phillip

The Right Reverend Rubin Phillip
former bishop of Natal
Province	Southern Africa
Diocese	Natal
Installed	1999
Term ended	2015
Predecessor	Michael Nuttall
Successor	Dino Gabriel

Rubin Phillip (b. circa 1948) is bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Natal. The great-grandchild of indentured labourers from Andhra Pradesh, Phillip is the first of East Indian heritage 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. He was a noted anti-apartheid activist and spent three years under house arrest in the 1970s. He continues to take political positions and remains connected to grasroots struggles. He was banned in 1973.

Phillip was involved in the Black Consciousness Movement, was a close friend to Steve Biko and was the Deputy President of the South African Student's Organisation in 1969 when Steve Biko was President.

In 2008, Phillip successfully obtained a court order preventing arms shipments destined for Zimbabwe from being transported through South Africa. He is chair of the Zimbabwe Solidarity Forum in South Africa.

Phillip has been a strong supporter of the shack dwellers movement' Abahlali baseMjondolo. He has attended meetings, memorials, mass ecumenical prayers, marches and UnFreedom Day hosted by Abahlali baseMjondolo and supported the organisation's successful battle to have the KZN Slums Act declared unconstitutional. 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". He supported the movement through the case that followed the attack.

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