The March on Mlaba

by Filippo Mondini

Last Friday the institutions, especially Major Mlaba and the police, have again attempted to vandalize the humanity of the poor.

The violence shown by the police is just one example of what happens when poor people speak for themselves.

Again the municipality of Durban has put the interests of business in front of the rights of the poor, the shack dwellers. Mlaba, although he had received news of the march almost one month earlier, did not bother to come and receive the memorandum. Surely, it would have been embarrassing to look straight in the eyes of people who have been living for more than ten years in a shack. It would have been embarrassing to listen at their voices. Nevertheless, it is not a surprise…people in power are not used to this kind of politics. They are used to other kind of democracy, not the one developed in Abahlali.

However, Friday Abahlali has shown again its strength with the thousands of people that the movement was able to mobilize. Among them also several religious and priests.

The Churches are finally recognizing that to be at the side of Abahlali is something important, something that they cannot miss.

The presence of priests, pastors and religious, the presence of a bishop, do not add anything to the struggle of Abahlali. The movement and the righteousness of its cause do not need the Churches.

On the contrary, it is Abahlali that is helping the Churches to be Church. Shack Dwellers, with the strength of their prophetic voice, are pointing at the “Reign of God”. When Shack Dwellers are struggling for houses, land, participation and democracy they are participating in God’s dream for all humanity. God dreams a world where nobody is exploited where the goods of the earth are shared among all human beings. The “Reign of God” is not something that we have to expect after this life but it is something concrete and real. The struggle of Abahlali is making God’s dream true and real. That is why nobody will break this movement. Moreover, whoever disrespects Abahlali disrespects God.

This is why the priests, pastors and religious present at the march stood in front of the police. We did not pretend to defend the people. Abahlali do not need our protection, it is strong enough to defend itself! And again it is important to highlight that we are not adding anything to the righteousness of the struggle. With our action we just wanted to say that if you strike Abahlali you strike the Churches and, finally, you strike God. This is the responsibility that the police and those who sent them must assume…. “In Truth I tell you, in so far as you did this to one of the least of my brothers and sisters of mine, you did it to me…” (Matthew 25:40).