Marikana: A New Land Occupation Founded on UnFreedom Day 2013

Shacks Demolished at the Marikana Land Occupation

Update: 29 April 2013 10:18 p.m After massive pressure from comrades at the police station the police agreed to release the two arrested comrades at around 9:00 p.m.. At the same time shacks were rebuilt on the newly occupied land.

Update: 29 April 2013 4:18 p.m Two hundred comrades have barricaded the police station. Others are defending the occupation and rebuilding. The Police Commissioner has said that they are being used by the third force.

Update: 29 April 2013 2:51 p.m There have been demolitions, threats, beatings, assaults, people shot with rubber bullets, the confiscation of the phone of a spokesperson and two arrests (Kemelo Mosaku and Boitumelo Ramahlele). Comrades are currently marching on the police station to demand the release of Kemelo and Boitumelo.

Update: 29 April 2013 10:04 a.m. Law enforcement has arrived at the occupation and is marking out shacks for illegal demolition.

27 April 2013
Abahlali baseMjondolo of the Western Cape Press Statement

Marikana: A New Land Occupation Founded on UnFreedom Day 2013

Members of Abahlali baseMjondolo of the Western Cape have occupied a piece of vacant land in Philippi, Cape Town. Shacks have been built and families have moved in to their new homes. The new land occupation has been called 'Marikana'. We called it Marikana because our sisters and bothers organised themselves there and some of our brothers died there and we too are organising ourselves peacefully and are willing to die for our struggle.

The Marikana Land Occupation – before the police & Anti-Land Invasion Unit Attacked

We are the community of Philippi East. Most of us are unemployed and don't have a place to stay. That is why we decided to reclaim this vacant and unused land and to make it a place for people to stay.

The DA has a record of violently imposing unlawful and unconstitutional evictions on the poor in Cape Town. The law of the land states clearly that no one can be evicted from their home without an order of the court. Sheldon Magardie, the Director of the Legal Resources Centre in Cape Town, has explained this clearly: http://westcapenews.com/?p=2960

If the DA tries to evict these families without a court order their action will be unconstitutional and criminal. We will use legal procedures and collective action to protect ourselves against any unlawful eviction.

The state is failing to resolve the housing crisis. Therefore it is necessary for the poor to take matters into our own hands. It is up to us to win our own
freedom.

For comment and up to the minute information on events as they unfold please
contact:

Sandile, Chairperson of the Marikana Land Occupation: 083 565 8798
Midas, Vice-Secretary of the Marikana Land Occupation: 073 582 2485
Cindy, AbM Western Cape: 076 086 6690