Bright Green were sorry to report the passing of Green Mayoral Candidate Deyika Nzeribe earlier today following his sudden and unexpected death last night. We remember him below.

Deyika joined the Green Party in 2011 and has been a committed and vocal activist ever since. His interests were widespread and varied, ranging from climate issues to diversity and social politics, and his work influenced the party on both a local and national level.

Deyika was a key figure in his local party, Manchester Green Party, regularly representing them as a local candidate before being selected as the Green candidate in the Mayoral race. He dedicated much time to local work, even holding together the local party as chair, and having lived in Hulme for 15 years it is clear that he held his community in high regard.

Nationally Deyika was a member of the original Greens of Colour committee and was keen to improve BME representation and membership within the party. Tackling racism was a cause he fought tirelessly for and he was a member of Manchester Black Activists Rising Against Cuts (BARAC).

Perhaps most impressive was Deyika’s role as co-founder of the Northern Police Monitoring Project, an independent citizen-led police scrutiny organisation that aimed to support communities who experience police harassment and unfair targeting.

Other organisations that have benefited from Deyika’s involvement have been the Manchester Environmental Education Network, which he was a trustee of; the PAC45 (Pan African Congress of 1945) foundation; Commonword, a Manchester organisation developed to encourage new writers, which he chaired; and Sustained Theatre, a BME theatre movement.

A community celebration of Deyika’s life took place this evening at 6:30pm in his local area.