Memorandum of Demands Delivered to the Minister of Human settlement in the Province of KwaZulu-Natal, MR Ravi Pillay – 8 November 2014

Memorandum of Demands Delivered to the Minister of Human settlement in the Province of KwaZulu-Natal, MR Ravi Pillay.

Saturday, 08 November 2014 12:00 PM

We, the citizens, men and women of the Republic of South Africa are members of Abahlali baseMjondolo Movement SA in kwaZulu-Natal, Durban, are democrats committed to the flourishing of this country and the world. We speak for ourselves and direct our own struggle. We have been mobilized by our own suffering and our hope for a better future here and abroad. It is time to take seriously the fact that, land is a serious problem in our country and that land was stolen from our ancestors and that, this has impoverished us. That housing in the city is a mess that has not just terrorized our communities but made us homeless here in South Africa. Housing corruption has become a weapon of mass destruction to those of us who are killed for the right to the city and the right to housing.

Today we recognize that the right to housing has been violated in our presence, we are kept in an inhumane conditions, in shacks and transit camps.

Our demands are as follows:

1. The Minister has made several budget speeches every year but failed to give Abahlali details of how that budget is allocated and for whom. He avoided us by saying eThekwini municipality will give us details, knowing very well that the boss of the city Nigel Gumede will not give us that information, as he thinks it must be reserved for his close comrades. We demand full details of the budget earmarked for the Upgrading of Informal Settlements.
2. Settlements where Abahlali are active Nigel Gumede has made sure that no housing projects are built there. We demand full share and the right of Abahlali to also benefit from housing built in the city.
3. Cornubia Housing allocation has only become Nigel Gumede‘s private investment for his own benefit and the people close to him. Housing list for beneficiaries in most housing projects are made at night for the members of the ruling party to benefit. We demand that the Minister rise above the corrupt party allocation system for fair benefit of all the people of KwaZulu-Natal.
4. Housing corruption in Cato Crest and KwaNdengezi has led to assassination of whistle blowers and housing activists. The Minister has been told several times on these crimes and corruption but does nothing. We demand that these two housing projects be stopped and be investigated.
5. Nqola, a Ward councilor of KwaNdengezi Ward 12 and Mzi Ngiba a councilor of Ward 101 have terrorized their communities. We demand that they be suspended and investigated on their implication to assassination of housing activists and whistle blowers.
6. KwaZulu-Natal has No clear, transparent and democratic Housing list. We demand that such inclusive Housing list be formulated with affected and interested communities and parties.
7. eThekwini Municipality has No clear and a transparent Housing Allocation policy. We demand that such allocation policy be made clear and clean so that Nigel Gumede does not exploit and monopolize the system.
8. The Human settlement should not be turned into a weapon of destroying the landless, the homeless and the impoverished. We demand that the minister provide fair leadership in his department so that there is peace and stability.
9. We demand that the social value of land come before its commercial value.
10. We demand provision of water, sanitation, electricity, road access and refuse collection in all Abahlali settlements.
11. Court Orders in Tumbleweed, Sisonke and Cato Crest have been violated. We demand that the Minister respect the laws of the Republic of South Africa.
12. Land is our priority. We demand that the state release serviced land to the poor while waiting for housing.
13. Evictions and Durban’s Land Invasion Unit are a disgrace in our society. We demand that all evictions must be stopped and land invasion unity be disbanded.
14. Those of us who were forcefully removed from Social Housing flats in Ridge View and made homeless, we demand that they are returned to those flats with immediate effect.

Just as people around the city, the country and world are uniting in support of our struggle we express our support for our comrades in DRC and elsewhere.

Receiving this memorandum without conscious Abahlali baseMjondolo Movement SA will reconsider engaging in non stopping protests.

Handed over by…………………………………………………………on………………………………………………….at………………………………………

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Received by………………………………………………………….on…………………………………………………at………………………………………..

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To follow up Please contact MaMkhize Nxumalo 084 332719, Thembani Jerome Ngongoma +27 84 6139772. +27 31 3046420