Abahlali baseMjondolo of the Western Cape - QQ Section Branch

Abahlali with QQ Section residents are circumventing politics and delivering aid directly to BM fire victims

On Saturday, the 12th of January, residents of QQ Section will be handing out used doors, mattresses, food, new school uniforms and other items to the victims of the recent BM Section fire.

We have been able to acquire these items through our own means. However, most of the aid that is meant to go to the victims of the fire, is being given out by Disaster Management (associated with the DA) or by SANCO and various NGOs (associated with the ANC). The aid is being politicised and the political parties are using the aid for their own electioneering benefit. Often, the aid is not even going to those who need it most.

Abahlali baseMjondolo Western Cape
1 January 2012

Government policies are behind the shack-fire epidemic in Cape Town

As residents of QQ Section shack settlement and members of the movement Abahlali baseMjondolo, we would like to say that we are not happy about what happened early this morning across the street from QQ Section.

A massive shack-fire, which started at around 4am, swept through almost the entire shack settlement of BM Section leaving thousands homeless and at least three (but possibly as much as six) people dead. We have a few Abahlali members in the settlement and, as residents of QQ Section, we also have a large number of friends and family who also were affected by the fire. We therefore remain in living solidarity with all those affect by the fire in BM section and other shack fires in WD Section and in Du Noon.

Friday, 16 September 2011
Abahlali baseMjondolo of the Western Cape Press Statement

Eskom and the City of Cape Town in another Brutal Attack on the Poor

Yesterday Eskom and the City of Cape Town descended on RR Section in Khayelitsha with a heavy police presence. They removed safe insulated cables that people were running from shacks with legal electricity boxes into shacks without electricity. The people who were running the cables into their shacks were paying those with legal electricity to use their power. These negotiated connections between neighbours were not illegal. It is therefore the police, and Eskom and the City of Cape Town, who engaged in criminal actions (theft and assault) yesterday.

Abahlali baseMjondolo of the Western Cape Press Statement
6 September 2011

Mayor De Lille Unwilling to Meet Backyarders on our own Terms

Abahlali baseMjondolo of the Western Cape mobilised backyarders from Delft, Gugulethu, Mandela Park, Mitchell's Plain and Khayelitsha in advance of the meeting that Mayor Patricia de Lille had scheduled with backyarders in Khayelitsha today.

We made it clear that we do not consider public events stage managed by the City at which each organisation can only send three representatives to be genuine participatory democracy. We are committed to participatory democracy, to the co-planning of open assemblies at which participatory budgeting and urban planning can be taken forward. The logic of representation at meetings organised in a top down way is the logic of civil society. It is not the logic of popular democracy.

Makhaza Land Invasion

Abahlali baseMjondolo Western Cape support the initiative of creating community from below by Makhaza back yard dwellers.

Within the city of Cape Town there is a backlog of housing for more than 500 000 people and this number increase by 20 000 while the city of Cape Town can only afford to build 8 000 houses per year.

It is clear that people who are in the waiting list and those living within informal settlements will have to wait more than 30 years before they can access decent houses within the city of Cape Town.

For the past few days people of Makhaza at section 36 have been building their own shacks at an open space of unused land for more than 17 years, most of these people have been in the waiting for more than 15 years.

27th April UnFreedom Day Mass Rally at QQ Shack Settlement, Khayelitsha

Tomorrow the 27th April, most people through out the country will be celebrating 17 years of our so called freedom or democracy.

Abahlali baseMjondolo Western Cape joined by Mandela Park Back yard dwellers, Gugulethu Anti-eviction Campaign, Delft Anti-eviction Campaign, Langa Concerned group from Langa TRA's and by many other community based organizations including pastor Xola Skosana who led a march from Gugulethu to Khayelitsha on the 23rd April under the campaign 'Welcome to Hell South African Townships' will be hosting a shack fire summit at QQ informal settlement from 10: am till 13:00 pm.

http://antieviction.org.za/2011/04/20/d-section-community-to-mobilise-and-return-old-lady-to-her-rightful-home/#more-4516

20 April 2011
Western Cape Anti-Eviction Campaign Press Statement

On the 20th of July 2010, right in the middle of the FIFA World Cup, Sheila Jacobs, a pensioner, was evicted from her home at D233 Khumbula Street in D Section, Khayelitsha. Phumla Maqasha arrived with the Sheriff of the Court and a contingent of police from Lingelethu SAPS, while she was watching a soccer match on TV.

http://antieviction.org.za/2011/04/17/protests-in-e-section-set-to-continue-after-thursdays-police-violence/#more-4499

17 April 2011
Western Cape Anti-Eviction Campaign Press Statement

Protests in E Section set to continue after Thursday’s police violence

Residents have vowed to continue their protest against the eviction of a poor family and against Thursday’s police brutality that has left 3 residents seriously injured. Residents will submit a petition to police today and fight for the rights and dignity of resident’s vulnerable to greedy banks and politicians.

A call for Madikizela, MEC for Human Settlement to resign continues tomorrow 14 April 2011

PROTEST DAY TWO

TIME: 10: AM TILL 12: PM

Tomorrows protest will be lead by QQ informal settlements to call on Madikizela to sign an undertaking that he will not ever again demolish people’s structure or evict people without any order from the court or to resign.

THE PROTEST WILL START@ KAIZERNGRACHT STREET, CAPE TOWN. (NEXT TO CAPE PENINSULA UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY)

For more info call: Nompumezo Nyakatyha ABM WC admin: 073 4128 218

For more comment call: Mzonke Poni ABM WC Chairperson @ 073 2562 036

18 December 2010
Abahlali baseMjondolo of the Western Cape

Another Shack Fire Rips Through Khayelitsha - BE Section Burns

Tonight VE section in Khayelitsha has burnt. At least seven homes have been destroyed.

We have made it clear that as a movement we refuse to accept that it is normal for the homes of the poor to burn like this. We are determined to demand that the plague of shack fires is treated as the crisis that it is and that real steps are taken to free us from this plague.