ANTI-PRIVATISATION FORUM & ALEXANDRA VUKUZENZELE CRISIS COMMITTEE
PRESS STATEMENT (TUESDAY 13TH MAY 2008)

STOP THE XENOPHOBIC ATTACKS IN ALEXANDRA & ELSEWHERE!

DON’T BLAME THE POOR FROM OTHER COUNTRIES FOR THE POVERTY AND JOBLESSNESS IN SOUTH AFRICA - BLAME, AND ACT AGAINST, THOSE WHO ARE RESPONSIBLE!

The Anti-Privatisation Forum and its affiliate, the Alexandra Vukuzenzele Crisis Committee, unreservedly condemn the recent violent, xenophobic attacks in extension 6 and extension 10. These violent attacks are aimed at people from other countries who are living and working in Alex and have been fed by baseless allegations that have fed other xenophobic attacks in poor communities across our country (e.g. Diepsloot, Atteridgeville, Mamelodi, Sebokeng, North-West, Khayelitsha etc).

Abahlali baseMjondolo Press Release
Tuesday, 13 May 2008

Motala Heights Crisis Deepens as Violent Intimidation Against the Strong Poor Continues

Gangster Landlord Continues Campaign of Intimidation with the Support of the Pinetown Police; James Pillay arrested on trumped up charges

James Pillay, 'Meeting of the Poor Against the Rich', 17 November 2007

The community of Motala Heights, set on the edge of Pinetown between the factories and the hill that runs up to Kloof, dates back to the early years of the last century and has a rich history. For the last three years it has been under sustained and violent attack from a local gangster businessman who seems to be able to direct the local state, including the police and the Municipality's Housing Department, at will.

For the second time in a month the eMagwaveni settlement in Tongaat is under violent police attack.

As happened last time the police are disconnecting people from electricity and people are being assaulted and arrested. A number of people have had property stolen by the police.

Abahlali baseMjondolo will develop a full press statement with the people of eMagwaveni once the police have left, the injured have been treated and the arrested have been freed. But they have asked that that this urgent notification be sent out immediately as people are being assaulted, arrested, robbed and disconnected from electricity right now. It would be very helpful if the press and others could get to the scene to witness what is happening.

SPEECH DELIVERED TO: ABAHLALI BASEMJONDOLO EVENT FOR UNFREEDOM DAY

KENNEDY ROAD COMMUNITY HALL, CLARE ESTATE, DURBAN, KZN, 27TH APRIL 2008

BY BISHOP RUBIN PHILLIP, ANGLICAN BISHOP OF NATAL AND CHAIRPERSON OF THE KWA-ZULU NATAL CHRISTIAN COUNCIL

For many years the courage and dignity of our people under oppression was a light to the world.

There was a time when our country was a light to the world. But that light has grown so dim that there is a real danger of it being extinguished altogether.

Today millions of our people live in shacks in life threatening conditions, constantly at risk of fire and disease because they have no electricity or sanitation, while we build stadiums, casinos and theme parks.

Abahlali baseMjondolo Press Release
Monday 21 April 2008

Abahlali baseMjondolo to Mourn UnFreedom Day Once Again

Time: 9:00 a.m., Sunday 27 April 2008
Venue: Community Hall, Kennedy Road Shack Settlement, Clare Estate, Durban

On Sunday it will be Freedom Day again. Once again we will be asked to go into stadiums to be told that we are free. Once again we will not be going to the stadiums. We will, for the third time, be mourning UnFreedom Day. Since the last UnFreedom Day we have been beaten, shot at and arrested on false charges by the police; evicted by the land invasions unit; disconnected from electricity by Municipal Security; forcibly removed to rural human dumping grounds by the Municipalities; banned from marching by the eThekwini City Manager; slandered by all those who want followers not comrades; intimidated by all kinds of people who demand the silence of the poor; threatened by new anti-poor laws; burnt in the fires; sick in the dirt and raped in the dark nights looking for a safe place to go the toilet.

Most of the Jadhu Place settlement burnt down early on Sunday morning after a candle was knocked over. Jadhu was one of the first settlements to join Abahlali baseMjondolo back in 2005. At least 1 500 people have been left homeless by this fire. The City has provided large tents for people left homeless and instructed them not to rebuild their shacks. They are misusing this disaster to turn a long established shack settlement, a community with a proud history, into a transit camp.

Obed Mlaba's house is symbolically burnt on 28 November 2008 in protest at the plague of fires.

Five of the Kennedy 6 - the picture was taken on 13 April 2007 after their release on bail after 23 days in prison and 14 days on hunger strike

Yesterday all charges against the Kennedy 6 were dropped just over a year after the men were first arrested.

The basic chronology of events is as follows:

The Kennedy 6 were arrested on a clearly trumped up murder charge on 21 March 2007 after a well known criminal who had previously been apprehended in the settlement and handed over to the police died in police custody. While in custody they were assaulted and an attempt was made, by Senior Superintendent Glen Nayager, to force them to chant anti-Abahlali slogans. They refused.

Cape High Court Orders Eviction of Joe Slovo Shack Settlement; Residents Vow to Resist

A Report for Abahlali baseMjondolo

Kerry Chance

Monday, March 10 2008, CAPE TOWN - Cape Judge President John Hlophe ordered residents of the Joe Slovo shack settlement to be evicted from their homes in Langa and relocated to Delft, as part of the N2 Gateway Project. Thousands of shack dwellers from Langa, as well as some from Delft, congregated at the steps of the Cape Town High Court to express their opposition to the eviction. They carried signs that read, "If We Lose, We Will Appeal" and "We Will Resist the Red Ants."

Abahlali baseMjondolo Report on the AbM Event for the 3rd International Day In Support of the Haitian People

Sent: Friday, February 29, 2008 11:20 PM
Subject: Re: Old and afraid of the world outside

Comrades!

As we are going to sleep today, most of us who have watched the video of the suffering of the people of Haiti, as strong as we are, can not enjoy the food that we are lucky to eat, not to mention our inner peace. Abahlali as a Movement would be guilty of a serious offence if today it can not think critical about what needs to be done to stand in Solidarity with the people of Haiti. As today the World enters the 3rd International Day in Solidarity with the Haitian People.

Abahlali Basemjondolo bayisa uHulumeni Wesifunda enkantolo ngokushaywa komthetho wokudilizwa kwemijondolo

NgoLwesibili safaka isicelo enkantolo ephakeme sicela ukuthi inkantolo iveze ukuthi umthetho wesifundazwe sakwa Zulu Natal wokudilizwa kwemijondolo awuhambisani nomthewtho sisekelo wezwe. Namuhla sizwakalisa ukuthi isikhonzi senkantolo sesiwahambisile amaphepha anezethulo zethu kwizikhulu zikahulumeni wesifunda. Iziphakamiso zethu kanye neze sifunda zisezithebeni ukuze izwe lonke lazi ngazo.

Umthetho wokudilizwa kwemijondolo uwukuhlasela abantu abampofu futhi kuthakaselwa kakhulu izinkampani ezidayisa ngemihlaba nakuba abampofu lokhu kubakhalisa. Kucaca ngokusobala ukuthi lomthetho usibuyisela emuva emithethweni yobandlululo njengo (Slums Act sika 1934) kanye nomthetho ka 1951 owawuphikisana nokuhlala endaweni ngaphandle kwemvume. Namuhla sithi emnyangweni wezezindlu akubekhona ingqungquthela ezothanyelwa izinhlangano ezikhethwe ngentando yeningi ezizoxoxisana nohulumeni ngemithetho nezinhlelo zokwakhiwa kwezindlu. Ngeke sikwamukele ukuthi kulomzabalazo ongaka singaqhubela silawulwe imigomo engasiphumelelisi ndawo.