Illegal Evictions in Isipingo, All Criminal Charges Dismissed Against the Ridgeview Twelve

Wednesday, 30 July 2014

Abahlali baseMjondolo Press Statement

Illegal Evictions in Isipingo, All Criminal Charges Dismissed Against the Ridgeview Twelve

1. Evictions in the Uganda Settlement

Yesterday the notorious eThekwini Municipal Land Invasion Unit evicted seven families in the Uganda settlement near Isipingo in the South of Durban. As always the Municipality had no court order and therefore this was an illegal attack on the residents.

The families whose homes were illegally demolished yesterday have lived in the Uganda settlement for three years.

The Uganda settlement is one of the settlements where RDP houses were built a few years ago. At least twenty two families are known by the community to have received those houses through corruption. Abahlali members there have tried their level best to report and expose this with no success.

The shacks were built next to transit camps and in the middle there is a tap and water often runs down into the shacks because there is no sewer system. A year ago this problem was reported to Ward Councillor Lihle Khuzwayo and he suggested that those families should find themselves an alternative plot and rebuild their shack where they will not be affected by water. It is the same shacks that are now being demolished and now Khuzwayo says he knows nothing about them. Khuzwayo like other councillors in eThekwini does not understand the power vested into him. He is remoted by a few officials who turn themselves into politicians at the same time. The Land Invasion Unit promised to return to Uganda and evict more families whose shacks have been marked with X.  These evictions will also be illegal.

As always people will rebuild and will hold the land with their own strength and persistence. This force is the foundation of our struggle and our hopes.

Contact:

Zama Buthelezi  078 142 4414

Muthwa                073 525 8324

2. The Trial of the Ridgeview Twelve

On the 31st of December last year the Ridge View flats near Cato Manor were occupied. The flats had been left empty after the residents were evicted. They were occupied by people who had been evicted from the flats and by people from the Marikana Land Occupation in Cato Crest who had been subject to repeated illegal evictions and violence from the eThekwini Municipality. The police were waiting for the occupiers and twelve people were arrested. They were charged with various criminal offenses as well as trespass.

Today their case came to trial. It was set down for two days. All charges were dismissed against three people. All the criminal charges were dismissed against the other nine and they agreed to pay a fine of R500 for the minor civil offense of trespass.

Once again we note that while gangster councillors can pay their assassins to kill with impunity, the police can also kill with impunity and the eThekwini Municipality can demolish and evict with impunity, even though this is a criminal offense, grassroots activists are constantly arrested on criminal charges, and constantly shown to the world as criminals, even though there is no evidence against them. Hundreds of Abahlali baseMjondolo members have been arrested on criminal charges since 2005 and not one has ever been convicted of a criminal offense.

The police and courts are being systemically misused to oppress struggle from below.

The struggle of justice and democracy is not over until people get their homes and dignified respect as it was promised.

Contact:

Nono Majola      072 326 0513

Ngubane             079 482 0904