Abahlali baseMjondolo Press Statement
1 0ctober 2013

Bandile Mdlalose has been denied bail

We went to court today to bring Bandile home. We had to leave without her. She was denied bail.

Thembinkosi Qumbelo is dead. Nkululeko Gwala is dead. Nqobile Nzuza is dead. Nkosinathi Mngomezulu is in hospital. Luleka Makhwenkwana is in hospital.

Our members have been beaten during evictions, during protests and in the police stations.

Our homes have been destroyed again and again even though this is against the law, the constitution and all the court orders that we won.

And yet they say that Bandile is suspected of 'public violence' and is too dangerous to society to be allowed out of jail.

Bandile has killed no-one. She has injured no-one. She has beaten no-one. She has destroyed no-one's home. Bandile arrived in Cato Crest after the police had killed Nqobile Nzuza, with two shots in the back, and injured Luleka Makhwenkwana. She participated in peaceful march, in protest at the killings, on the police station.

Yet she must stay in jail while the killers, the shooters, the beaters and the demolishers walk free.

There is no justice for the poor. It is taken as criminal for us to ask that we be treated according to the law. It is taken for us as criminal for us to refuse to be intimidated. It is taken as criminal for us to oppose corruption. It is taken as criminal for us to live and to protest in the spaces reserved for the rich. It is taken as criminal for us to organise ourselves outside of the ruling party.

We note that much of the media continues to see people who are poor and black as a threat to society rather than as part of society. But we acknowledge those journalists that have not just repeated the lies of the police and have spoken to people who witnessed the murder of Nqobile Nzuza.

We acknowledge the solidarity of the church leaders that came to court today and then proceeded to visit the injured comrades in hospital. 

We acknowledge the solidarity of comrades around South Africa and around the world that have sent us messages of support and indicated their willingness to take action against the repression we are facing

S'bu Zikode 083 547 0474
Mnikelo Ndabankulu 081 309 5484