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.

25 December 2012
Abahlali baseMjondolo Press Statement

At around 23:00 last night a fire ripped through the Palmiet Road shack settlement in Durban. 85 houses burnt down, around 150 people have been displaced. 2 people were badly burnt and another was injured as she fell while running from the fire.

Shack fires are no accident. They are political - a direct result of the contempt with which poor people are treated in this society.

For comment please contact:

Mnikelo Ndabankulu: 081 309 5485
Ntombemhlophe Zothwa: 083 218 1934

Sunday 23rd December 2013
Abahlali baseMjondolo Press Statement

Shack Fire in the Kennedy Road Settlement

At around 4am a fire hit the eShishunqa section of the Kennedy Road settlement in Clare Estate in Durban. Around twenty shacks were gutted. There have not been any reports of injury or death.

One of the people whose home was destroyed was planning to return to her rural home tomorow and lost all the food and money for stokvel.

Shack fires are not just accidents or natural disasters. They are a result of the way in which we are forced to live. Our movement has been struggling since 2005 for shack fires to be recognised as a political crisis resulting from the contempt with which poor people are treated in this society. This struggle continues. Everytime there is a fire the police and munucipality issue statements blaming the fire on alcohol or what they call "illegal electricity connections". They say these things without making any attempt to find out the real cause of fires. The most common cause of fires is in fact candles. For this reason our struggle against the fires has always included a struggle for the immediate electrification of all shack settlements. When we started our struggle the eThekwini Municipality refused to electrify shack settlements and sent out armed men to disconnect people who connected themselves. As a result of our struggle this inhumane policy has being overturned and a start has been made with electrifying shack settlements in Durban. However the process is too slow and like everything else in this municipality it is being channelled through the local structures of the ruling party rather than being developed as a universal right for all residents.

27 June 2012
Abahlali baseMjondolo Press Statement

Jadhu Place on Fire Again

Abahlali baseMjondo’s ongoing struggle for land and decent housing for all shack dwellers and other poor people remains the most urgent demand.

This is the season of fire, the season of shack fires, the season of great humiliation and despair, the deadly season. Those who have always criticized the victims of the shack fires as drunkards, unthinking and thieves of electricity would be blind not to understand the truth and the politic of shack fires. We burn, year after year, because we are denied electricity and because we are denied decent housing. When we carefully connect ourselves to electricity the state sends armed men to disconnect us. When we formalise our own shacks the state sends armed men to demolish them. We are forced, sometimes at gun point, to live as we do.

Friday, December 23, 2011
Abahlali baseMjondolo Press Statement

Terrible Shack Fire in Kennedy Road

Last night, in the middle of the night, at about 00:28, a shack fire took place in Kennedy Road. About 300 shacks went to ashes and approximately 1500 people were left homeless.

Kennedy Road Burns Again

The reason of the fire is still unknown but it is suspected that a candle was left lighted. A small child at about the age of 2 years was badly injured and was rushed to a hospital. No one came to the scene aside from Abahlali baseMjondolo. What a shame it is when even the councillor himself doesn’t bother to come and see how the damage is. The community was hoping that their ward 25 councillor would come to see the damage and offer support. Their hopes were raised when they saw him coming with the Municipality cars. One of the cars was from Housing. But he did not even bother to consider coming to the place where there was this fire. He just ignored the people who had their hopes up and went straight to the hall and told the people that he was there to write the list of those who are suppose to get food vouchers for Christmas. In the past these vouchers have been abused for party political purposes.

Monday, June 13, 2011
Abahlali baseMjondolo Movement Press Statement

Another Shack Fire Destroys Families' Homes in Siyanda

South Africans are still recovering from the heavy rains that caused a lot of damage and flooding especially to poor communities. In Siyanda people have to deal with fire as well as flood. The Shange family, the Buthelezi family and one other family have all been left homeless after a fire that destroyed three shacks in Siyanda B Settlement on Saturday, 11 June 2011 during the broad day light.

Abahlali baseMjondolo Press Release
Sunday, 1 May 2011

Shack Fire Takes a Life in eMmaus

At 04h00am this morning a candle was accidentally knocked over in a shack in New eMmaus in Pinetown. Mr. Zulu (33), the owner of the shack, was burnt to death as the fire destroyed his shack.

The fire brigade and the police were called but by the time they came the damage was already done and Mr. Zulu was already dead. Yesterday in a separate incident the Jadhu Place shack settlement in Clare Estate was on fire as well. There has been a wave of shack fires across the country since Easter. A number of people have burnt to death. Winter is here and the poor are burning once again.

Our Sadness on UnFreedom Day

Western Cape Anti-Eviction Campaign
27 April 2011

For the poor in South Africa, there is no freedom.

Today from 10am till 2pm, the movements will come to QQ Section Informal Settlement for an UnFreedom Day rally. QQ was the victim of a huge shack fire just before Christmas in 2010 so the location is fitting for our Shack Fire Summit

The Anti-Eviction Campaign, Abahlali baseMjondolo, the Backyarders, the Landless People's Movement, and other communities of people living in poverty throughout South Africa are not going to celebrate Freedom Day. Instead, we are going to mourn it. The 27th of April, to the poor, is a day of mourning.