http://www.dailynews.co.za/index.php?fArticleId=4070200

Evicted informal traders seek legal redress

October 08, 2007 Edition 1

Bongani Mthembu

A legal showdown is looming between the eThekwini Municipality and 1 200 informal traders kicked out of a Durban flea market.

The traders were evicted from the Soldiers Way Carbin Market apparently because a structure for the 2010 Soccer World Cup is being put up.

This has, however, been denied by city fathers, who said that a study was still being conducted to establish what could be done with the site.

Divendren Pather, of Global Village, the company that represents the traders, said yesterday he would take the matter to court, arguing that council was supposed to provide an alternative site for the traders.

http://www.dailynews.co.za/index.php?fArticleId=3896231

Shack dwellers threaten mass action

June 22, 2007 Edition 1

Bongani Mthembu

Shack dwellers have threatened to organise massive disruptive protests in major cities if the KwaZulu-Natal government implements the legislation that seeks to eliminate slums in KwaZulu-Natal.

The Elimination and Prevention of Re-emergence of Slums Bill was approved by the provincial government yesterday. The government believes that the legislation will prevent the proliferation of slums in urban areas.

While the government promises to find alternative housing for nearly 500 000 people who live in informal settlements during the process of eliminating slums, Abahlali Basemjondolo, an organisation representing shack dwellers, believes the Act is an attempt to evict people from land they live on and buildings they live in.

Threat to dump faeces in front of City Hall

By Bongani Mthembu

Durban's executive committee member Nigel Gumede punctuated a heated Human Rights Day demonstration outside City Hall on Thursday with calls for closer co-operation between local government and shack dwellers.

His plea came amid threats from the city's informal settlement dwellers to dump buckets of faeces in front of the City Hall if the eThekwini Municipality fails to provide them with toilets.

The informal dwellers were among a number of organisations and individuals who yesterday celebrated Human Rights Day by marching to the City Hall with numerous demands which they said were basic human rights the city fathers had failed to address.

his article was originally published on page 6 of Daily News on November 01, 2006

EThekwini councillors signs pledge over land
Bongani Mthembu
November 01 2006 at 02:55PM

The eThekwini Municipality's attempts to prevent the mushrooming of informal settlements and illegal building took another step this week when councillors were asked to put their heads on a block by signing pledges that force them to do everything in their power to prevent these illegal activities.

Failure to abide by the pledge, will be deemed to be a breach of conduct for councillors and will be dealt with accordingly.