Abahlali baseMjondolo Press Release
16 August 2006

SHACK FIRES ARE NO ACCIDENT

Bishop Reuben Phillip, Professor Dennis Brutus & Others to Speak at a Memorial Service for Victims of Shack Fires at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday 19 August, Kennedy Road Hall, Kennedy Road, Clare Estate
– All Media Welcome –

On Friday 11 August Mr. Zithulele Dhlomo, 70, died in a shack fire in the Kennedy Road Shack Settlement. Mr. Dhlomo is the second person in the settlement to be lost to fire within a year. Mhlengi Khumalo, 1, died on 21 October 2005.

Last week there was a major conflagration in the Jadhu Place settlement. Before that it was Quarry Road and before that it was Lacey Road. The fires happen more or less every week. Hundreds of people have been left homeless. Many have been burnt. These fires are not acts of God. They are a direct consequence of the eThekwini Municipality’s infamous and unconstitutional 2001 decision to suspend the provision of electricity to shack settlement. The policy states that ‘In past (1990s) electrification was rolled out to all and sundry…electrification of the informal settlements has now been discontinued’.

A memorial service for victims of shack fires will be held at the Kennedy Road settlement at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday 17 August. After the memorial service Abahlali baseMjondolo will organise a mass protest across all Abahlali affiliated settlements across Durban and in Pinetown demanding the immediate electrification of all settlements.

Like all Abahlali baseMjondolo events the memorial is open to all, including the media. Speakers will include Bishop Reuben Phillip, Bishop Babuhlala, Father Merlin, Pastor Mthokozisi, Professor Mereelo and Professor Dennis Brutus.

For further information and comment please contact:

S’bu Zikode 0835470474
Mnikelo Ndabankulu 0735656241
M’du Hlongwa 0723358966