Urgent Press Statement
Abahlali baseMjondolo of the Western Cape

Count Down

The Right to the City Campaign

Abahlali baseMjondolo of the Western Cape, 21 days ago launched it’s ‘the right to the city campaign’. Today the world and South Africans are counting few days before the kick off of the 2010 FiFa World cup, also Abahlali baseMjondolo of the Western Cape is counting few hours before kick starting it’s campaign.

Part of the aim of the campaign is to build shacks outside Green Point soccer stadium at Cape Town, occupying governmental offices, invading open public spaces within the city and occupying unused hotels, flats and schools within the City.

Tomorrow, the 11th June 2010 is the first day of our campaign, about 100 members of Abahlali baseMjondolo will meet at Cape Town next to Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) at Keizerngracht Street at 10:00 from there we will proceed to where our protest is going to take place.

Our action in terms of South African Gatherings Act is viewed as illegal, as it suggest that we need to notify the police 14 days before such action but according to us our action is genuine and legitimate and we see no reason for us to notify them while we are going to occupy their offices because we refused to be controlled in any way in our actions.

All media agencies are invited to expose the police and governmental arrogance towards the poorest of the poor. We want the world to see how the poor are denied the right to well located land by South African Government and by the City of Toilets or the ‘Shit City’ (The City of Cape Town).

For more information please contact Mr. Qona at 076 875 9533 or Nobantu Goniwe at 078 760 5246

PLEASE NOTE: AS WE SPEAK ABAHLALI BRANCH AT QQ ARE CURRENTLY BUSY BURNING TYRES AT LANSDOWN ROAD OPPOSITE QQ IN PREPARATION OF TOMORROW’S ACTION AND MEDIA URGENCIES ARE URGED TO RUSH TO THE SCENE. FOR DIRECTION AND COMENTS PLEASE CALL Mbongeni Mkhaliphi at 076 981 6945