Louisa Motha was co-ordinator of the Abahlali baseMjondolo movement for a number of years beginning in 2004. She lives in the shack settlement in Pinetown near the city of Durban in South Africa. Motha became friends with fellow activist Shamita Naidoo when they met washing their clothes in the river. She is particularly well known for organising against evictions and was a strong critic of the Slums Act. She also started a women's gardening group called the Motola Diggers.