Blue Ants Attack UT Section, Site B, Khayelitsha

25 April 2010
Abahlali baseMjondolo of the Western Cape Press Statement

Blue Ants Attack UT Section, Site B, Khayelitsha

Abahlali baseMjondolo condemns the continuation attack of our settlements by the City of Cape Town, Law Enforcement, Anti Land Invasion and it’s private agency.

On Thursday a house of a member of Abahlali baseMjondolo at UT section at Site B was demolished by the City’s Law Enforcement without any reason.

UT section has been existing for the past 15 years, but it came as a shock to most people within UT section when they saw Law Enforcement officers armed with guns, accompanied by the blue ants which were used to demolished the structures of Abahlali baseMjondolo at Macassar village last year.

According to the head of the operation from Law Enforcement, they were instructed by a member of the community who claimed to be the representative of the area, when the members of Abahlali baseMjondolo conducted their investigation within the area apparently it came as a shock to find out that the person is PETRIC who is linked to Shack Dwellers International (SDI), the same person has been collecting R7 from the community promising people that if they donate R7 SDI will relocate them within 6 months.

When he (PETRIC) was interrogated by the community members he said that, the houses he identified are housing izikili/ootsotsi (thugs) and he did this without any consultation of the community and the community executives.

As Abahlali baseMjondolo we condemn this kind of behaviour in our settlements, and we would like to note that no one may demolish anyone’s structure without a court order and we further note that the law enforcement and anti land invasion unit are not welcome in our settlements and they are not our friends.

We’re are confident to our elected leadership, and we do have our democratic ways to deal with our issues without any inclusion of the law enforcement, and if this is the program of the Shack Dwellers International we also condemn it.

For more information please contact: Vuyani @ 071 113 6764 for comment contact Mzonke Poni @ 073 256 2036