iSolidarity ePhilayo

Meeting of AbM, AEC, LPM & the Rural Network, 20 September 2008

Extract from Opening Remarks by S’bu Zikode (rush transcript)

Welcome to Kennedy Road, to the Abahlali baseMjondolo office. This is where we burn our imphepho.

We began our struggles in different places but we confront one system. All the rivers of struggle lead to the sea.

We need to clearly define ourselves and to clearly define our enemies.

We are not just struggling for a key to an RDP house. We are struggling for respect and dignity. We are struggling for a world that is for everyone. A just world, a caring world. Another world is necessary.

In Abahlali baseMjondolo, the Landless Peoples’ Movement, the Western Cape Anti-Eviction Campaign I see a very important space in life, a space where materialism doesn’t mean anything. A space where pain does not end in homelessness, landless, eviction, beatings from farmers. A space that is a basin to collect all the tears – tears that we will use to water our hope.

God is not stupid. He did isolate is from the rest of the world. We do not suffer alone. We do not want our struggle to remain isolate in confined dark corners. We need all our rivers of struggle to become a flood rushing to the sea

This is our meeting. There is no NGO setting the agenda, telling us that our concerns are out of order. I have no programme. The meeting is yours.

Extract from Opening Remarks by Ashraf Cassiem (rush transcript)

It comes down to one thing. We are trying to get our dignity back. In the Anti-Eviction Campaign we have established certain principles, we have forced ourselves to implement them. We act now, and speak later.

There are certain people we do not want to be associated with – various NGOs and academics. They call us comtotsis, that is not what our communities call us. We have agreed that we will allow the communities to decide what they want.

When the Anti-Eviction Campaign and Abahlali baseMjondolo first united we called our unity the Action Alliance. Now we have the Poor Peoples’ Alliance.

We do not need the NGOs that get money to talk for us and about us but never do anything with us. We achieved all that we have achieved without resources.

We will meet our real partners on the front lines, not in NGO offices. We welcome the Rural Network and the Landless Peoples’ Movement to our alliance.

This is our time, this the time to achieve solidarity in practice.