Another Shack fire after eThekwini Municipality disconnected electricity in Kennedy Road

Abahlali baseKennedy a bigger branch of Abahlali baseMjondolo has again and again been forced to accept the unacceptable. Last night at about 22:00 Saturday 16 February 2008 Kennedy Road settlement was on fire, fifteen shacks were bunt down. About 25 people including women and children were displaced and left homelesss. It was fortunate that at least within 25 minutes the fire department was at the scene.The cause of fire is said to be the paraffinn stove that exploded. The fire victims have worked so hard and for so long to have what they have had. It is known that there is no one who is going to return their belongings of their sweat.The shack fires have become one of those common minor incidents that do not matter, it does not attract the interest of most media nor does it attract the sympath of those in high authority. There are no efforts of any kind that the eThekwini munipality is prepared to explore in order to address the carnage of shack fires.Shack fires can be avoided in a caring city like Durban as so much money and energy is used to impress those who do not live in Durban and to attract foreign investment.

Letter to KZNCC and other Church Leaders

Invitation to a Prayer Service

Abahlali BaseMjondolo in Durban is a formation of poor communities living in shacks around Durban. It was formed to represent and advocate for the rights of the poor to have access to services such as land, houses and jobs in their areas. It is not affiliated to any political party.

Shack communities always face challenges such as shack fires, police brutality and neglect by government. Throughout these challenges some church leaders have stood in solidarity with the poor living in shacks.

Invitation to this prayer service marks the beginning of a process of dialogue between the church and people living in shacks to explore the meaning of “preferential option for the poor” and being church in the context of poverty and landlessness.

THE GREATEST THREAT TO FUTURE STABILITY IN OUR COUNTRY

THE GREATEST STRENGTH OF ABAHLALI BASEMJONDOLO MOVEMENT S.A.(SHACK DWELLERS)

Many things have been said. Many things have been seen. Many policies have been passed. Many people have voted. But what has been done has not been done for the poor. It has been done for the rich. The poor are outside. We have no country. This is not the democracy that the poor fought for. We must ask, are we citizens of this country? If we are not citizens then who are we and where are we?

AFRAID

I am afraid. Every day is an emergency in the jondolos. I am afraid that the AIDS epidemic and poverty are the greatest threat to future stability in our country. Our people are dying. Our people are struggling just to survive. Our desperation and anger can go in many directions. I am afraid that it won’t always go the people who are getting richer while we suffer.

S'bu Zikode's Transcribed Speech Made at the Centre for Civil Society & Rosa Luxemburg Foundation Colloquium

March 4, 2006 at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban

Amandla! Viva Abahlali baseMjondolo, viva! Viva CCS, Viva! Viva all the Social Movements, Viva! Viva Chatsworth, Viva! Viva Wentworth, Viva! Viva the Right to Work Campaign Viva!

Comrades! I am not used to sitting, I am not used to comfortable chairs; so don't be taken aback that I will be standing. I am used to Zabalaza, to struggling; there's no time to sleep and to be jolly with the comfortable chairs. Comrades, thank you very much to Patrick for this great opportunity that I have just been given to speak at this university on behalf of people f rom Abahlali. I am going to use this opportunity to talk about the pain and suffering we are facing with the hard of the hardest in our own country; the pain of arrests, beatings, detention and death.

Make Crime History

by S’bu Zikode*

The poor were not born to be poor. We didn’t become poor because we are lazy or stupid. In fact we have to work very hard and be very clever just to find a place for ourselves in this world that the rich have made for themselves. History made us poor and the history of our country is a history of crimes against the innocent. Because of these crimes millions of people are living in shacks and selling in the streets. The poor have the most to gain from an end to crime. More than anybody else we want a country where the human dignity of every person is respected. More than anybody else we understand that working for an end to crime is the responsibility of every one of us. It is our duty to God, to our country and to our children. We are prepared to do our part of this work.

Letter to the Editor, Mail & Guardian, November 24 to November 30 2006,
http://www.mg.co.za/articledirect.aspx?area=mg_flat&articleid=10182

We need Khans In the shackdwellers’ movement, we do not have the money to train as academics or send our children to train as academics. Therefore, we rely on others to bring back the fruits of their knowledge to the poor.

University of KwaZulu-Natal lecturer Fazel Khan is one of few academics who brings his learning to the people. For UKZN to bring him before a disciplinary committee is unacceptable.

The universities must work to build more Khans. If they try to destroy them, they, as institutions, will just be about individuals getting good jobs for themselves -- they will not be about the society any more.