Abahlali baseMjondolo will hold a policy conference on Sunday the 13th of March at 9 am at the Surat Hindu Association Hall (Prince Edward Street) in Durban. Each of the 28 branches currently in good standing has been invited to nominate 9 delegates to attend the conference. The delegates will all be expected to report back to their branches for further discussion.

The purpose of the conference is for us to discuss and think together and to come to agreement on the way forward on a number of pressing matters. Various matters will be discussed including the following:

1. Our movement has grown hugely over the last ten years. We will discuss various issues relating to how best to respond to this growth.

2. From the outset we always made a clear distinction between people’s politics and party politics. However many new members in our movement come into the movement from political parties. We will discuss the distinction between an autonomous movement and political parties and what this should mean in terms of how we understand and define our own politics. This includes the ideas and that language that we use to think about our politics.

3. The various community projects that we have out into place.

4. Working in collaboration with other progressive movements in South Africa and internationally.

5. This year we have decided to eradicate the ‘DEPENDENCY SYNDROME’ forced on to us by the government. We have decided to take the initiative to develop our own lives. ‘OPERATION ASAKHISANE’ is going to change the face of our movement. We have been successful in occupying land, now it is time to develop our lives.

6. We need to take a collective position on the coming local government elections. The meeting will begin a process of careful discussion around this question.

In the past ten years we have been mobilised by our own suffering and poverty. We have realised that we are not poor but we are made to be poor. Poverty is political. We were made poor and we continue to be kept poor so that others can be rich. We are sick and tired of being used by the government. Our lives do not matter to this government but our votes do. We are given food parcels when they need our vote. They pretend to care when the elections are around the corner. Our lives have been put in danger. Enough is enough.

We have already decided to embark on a series of development in our areas. The people whom we have entrusted with our vote have let us down. It is time that we rise up and be the drivers of our own freedom. Unlike this government we want people to be part of their development.

PHAMBILI NGENKANI PHAMBILI!! ALUTA CONTINUA!!

Thapelo Mohapi 076 186 1884
Zandile Nsibande 062 947 1947
Thembani Ngongoma 084 613 9772