Lindela 'Mashumi' Figlan

Lindela Figlan was born on the 27th of December 1970 in J.B. Location in Flagstaff in Pondoland in what was then the Transkei bantustan.

His mother was from the Radebe family and she kept the home. His father was secretary of the congress that went into revolt on Ngquza Hill in 1960. More than 4 000 men occupied Ngquza Hill. They were determined to fight for their land and for their dignity. The apartheid state sent in the military and there was a massacre. The courage of the men on Ngquza Hill is always remembered in Pondoland today. The songs from that struggle, like 'Asiyifuni idompas', are still sung today. When Lindela was a young boy the police used to come to their home from time to time, kick in the door and kidnap his father. Sometimes they would take him to a place known as Betani where they would force him to dig potatoes with his hands saying that they did not want to risk damaging their tools. When he came home his fingernails would be red.

Abahlali baseMjondolo KZN Press Statement
21 April 2011

No Freedom for the Forgotten

On the 27th April the whole country will be asked to commemorate the seventeenth year of so called “Freedom”.

We cannot forget that many people died and fought hard and with courage and determination to gain this freedom from apartheid. We honour those people all the time. Many of our members struggled in trade unions and in community organisations. We have members whose ancestors fought in the war fought from the Nkandla forest and in the rebellion on Nguza Hill. The struggle against apartheid is our struggle.

This addendum to yesterday's press release was received late last night via cellphone text message from Reverend Mavuso Mbhekeseni. Please contact the Reverend for further details on the threats to the clergy, the chairperson of the AbM Women's League and others, at the court yesterday.

The ANC mob was swearing at us in court saying that we are corrupt church leaders who support criminals. They threatened to catch us and kill us in the city. They said that they would describe us to all their people by the clothes we were wearing. They also threatened the chairperson of the AbM women's league although she was not present at the court. They threatened her by name, shouted and swore at her name, and said that she is a "a thief who wears pants bought with the money from Kennedy Road people." The ANC mob was armed with sticks and other sharp objects. They were highly intimidating and it was clear that their threats were serious - they meant what they were saying.

Stolen building materials on the truck, now impounded.

Update:Click here to read the Mercury report on this incident.

16 May 2009
Foreman Road Abahlali baseMjondolo Branch

Four ANC Members Arrested for Corruption in the Foreman Road Settlement

At around 4:00 a.m. this morning the Sydenham Police, led by Supt. Glen Nayager, arrested 4 members of the Foreman Road ANC branch on corruption charges.

http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=15&art_id=vn20080921085429202C416922

Slums built on the ashes of apartheid

September 21 2008 at 01:42PM

By Imraan Buccus

Last Saturday almost the entire Foreman Road shack settlement in Clare Estate, Durban, burnt down, leaving thousands destitute.

The next morning residents found a body in the ashes

There was a devastating fire in the same settlement in 2007.

The photographs from the morning after are apocalyptic. The nearby Kennedy Road settlement has had seven major fires in 2008.

Update: Please note that after vigorous protest at the arrival of bulldozers on the site of the fire without consultation the City agreed to allow Foreman Road residents to decide whether they wanted to rebuild themselves or stay in an on site transit camp.

http://antieviction.org.za/2008/09/21/western-cape-aec-in-durban-for-shack-fire-summit-alliance-meeting-and-to-support-comrades-at-foreman-rd-who-are-being-subject-to-illegal-demolitions/

Foreman Road Abahlali baseMjondolo Branch
Press Statement, 10:00 a.m., 13 September 2008

Massive Fire Devastates the Foreman Road Settlement

morning sun. man. smoke. ruins.

A fire started at the bottom of the Foreman Road settlement at around 3: 00 a.m. this morning. There is only one tap in the settlement and it was impossible to fight the fire. Most of the settlement, at least a thousand shacks, burnt very quickly. Our neighbours called the fire brigade and they came and put the fire out. In 2004 the Municipality said that they would install fire hydrants. They started the work but never finished it. We have been left to burn.