Cape Times: Freedom Day only words for us

http://www.iol.co.za/news/freedom-day-only-words-for-us-1.1850795#.VT86uCGqqko

Freedom is not something that is held in the hands of the politicians and renewed on April 27 each year, writes Abahlali baseMjondolo.

Cape Town – Once again “Freedom Day” is here. Once again we will be told that we are free. Once again we will be lectured about our freedom and told to accompany the politicians, businessmen and the rich to their stadiums.

Twenty-one years of shack life has not been easy for us. In 21 years of ANC rule lies and evictions have become the order of the day.

The land has not been restored to the people. Our dignity has been vandalised.

In 2005 we declared our humanity. The response of the ANC has been lies, the denial of life-saving basic services, arrest, assault, imprisonment, illegal evictions, torture, armed attacks by members of the ruling party, the destruction of our homes by members of the ruling party and assassination. The vandalisation of our humanity has become even more extreme.

We are not alone. We do not forget Marikana or all the people murdered by the police during countrywide protests.

This so-called freedom has meant exclusion from democratic processes and decision making. It has meant exclusion from the housing list and, yes, it has meant that we must be removed from the housing list to be placed on the death list.

We have seen miners murdered in cold blood in Marikana. We have seen Nkululeko Gwala, Thembinkosi Qumbela and Nqobile Nzuza of Cato Crest murdered in cold blood and, yes, we have seen Thuli Ndlovu murdered in KwaNdengezi. Here and there our struggle pushes back at the forces of oppression. In KwaNdengezi ANC councillors Luvelile Lutyeku and Nqola Ngcobo having been arrested and charged with the murder of Thuli Ndlovu.

On Sunday Abahlali will again be mourning the loss of our freedom to serve the interests of the ruling elites.

While many South Africans will be celebrating freedom day, Abahlali will insist that the shack dwellers and the poor in South Africa deserve real freedom and real democracy.

We want to remind all democrats that our freedom is not something that is held in the hands of the politicians and renewed on April 27 each year. Freedom means us respecting other human beings and them respecting our right to live freely.

It is freedom to organise freely in our settlements and freedom to participate in all decision making that affects our lives and our wellbeing. Freedom means a right to our land of birth that is free from eviction by the land invasion units. Freedom means land and dignity.

Freedom means that land, wealth and political power must be shared. Freedom means that South Africa belongs to all who live in it – no matter where they were born or what language they speak.

While freedom day is celebrated by the ruling party on April 27, Abahlali planned to hold its Unfreedom Day Rally on Sunday, at 11am in the Cato Crest sport ground.

We fully intended to use the opportunity well to condemn xenophobia, but also to remember our fallen heroes with a special gesture.