Update: 9:27 p.m. After the meeting at Cato Crest the comrades went to the hospital. Mngomezulu is fighting for his life in the ICU.

Update: 12:57 p.m. Abahlali baseMjondolo marched on the Cato Crest police station to demand the release of the arrested comrades. They have secured their release.

21 September 2013
Abahlali baseMjondolo Emergency statement

eThekwini Municipality’s Invasion Unit has shot three Abahlali baseCato Crest, one with live ammunition

Abahlali has witnessed the leader of the Land Invasion Unit Mr Goven, shooting at our members in Cato Crest. We witnessed him shooting at Mngomezulu. Goven was in his white shirt while the rest of his crew was wearing blue. Three live bullets were fired at Mngomezulu.

Three Abahlali members including Mngomezulu have been rushed to hospital after their own government has shot them – the other two comrades were shot with rubber bullets. Mngomezulu is in a critical condition.

This government has declared war on its poor citizens. They believe that the gun must be the rule of the day and not the law.

The shooting took place 9:00 a.m. this morning. Now instead of the SAPS protecting residents they are arresting the victims of crime committed by eThekwini municipality. Ndabo Mzimela, Abahlali Chairperson in the area, has just been arrested for defending his house and is being severely assaulted by the SAPS.

The Land Invasions unit have continued to demolish homes this morning and to try and force residents out of Cato Crest. Today at least eighteen shacks were demolished despite number of court orders protecting the residents and the Municipality’s own undertaking to the court not to evict.

Today eighteen shacks were demolished on the Spar side. Yesterday at about 9:00 a.m. eight shacks were demolished, also at gun point, on the other side. So, shacks are demolished on both sides including the side that is not even in the dispute.

It is clear that it is not the so called community that prohibits implementation of court orders but the municipality. Yesterday they mentioned that they were sent by the provincial government. It is clear that the ANC cannot differentiate between itself as party and itself as government. They take any challenge to the government as a challenge to the party. They take any challenge to the party as an act of war.

Party members, assassins, the land invasions unit and the police are all being used to crush the people in Cato Crest who have stood up for their humanity and their rights as guaranteed in the law and the Constitution.

Contact:

Bandile Mdlalose 084 5575090
S’bu Zikode 083 5470474
Mnikelo Ndabankulu 081 2633462
Lindiwe Mazibuko 072 7493693