Memorandum of Demands to the MEC For Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Honourable Nomusa Dube-Ncube, Monday, 26 June 2017, 12:00pm
We, Abahlali baseMjondolo Movement SA, are democrats committed to the flourishing of this city, our province and our country. We speak for ourselves and direct our own struggle.
We have been mobilized by our suffering and our hope for a better future. It is time to take seriously the fact that, land is a serious problem in our country and in our city and that land was stolen from our ancestors and that this has impoverished us. It is time to take seriously that our struggle for land, housing and dignity, which is a just and democratic struggle, is facing serious and often violent repression from the ruling party and the government. This repression has taken a number of lives.
1. For too long the eThekwini municipality has repressed Abahlali and marginalised our communities as a form of punishment for speaking against corruption, lies and injustices and COGTA says nothing about it.
2. For too long our leaders and members have been subjected to violent evictions and denied our Constitutional rights and COGTA says nothing.
3. For too long the commerical value of land has been put before its social value and impoverished black people have been forced to the rural peripheries.
4. For too long some municipalities in KZN have acted against the law and denied landless and homeless people the right to basic services.
5. For too long the eThekwini Municipality and the current mayor has lied to us and treated us with disrespect and indignity.
6. For too long the eThekwini municipality through its Anti Land Invasion Unit has been terrorizing our communities violently and illegally.
7. For too long certain Ward Councillors like Cllr Zulu in ward 52, Cllr Khekhe in ward 17, Cllr Musa Nyaba in ward 56 nd Cllr Nada in ward 15 have been attacking our members because they are threatened by our unity in action. Most of these councillors have been imposed on us.
8. For too long our members including Samuel Hloele and the two weeks old baby Jayden have been killed by the police and the Anti Land Invasion Unit without any accountability.
9. For too long we have been excluded from IDP discussions in shaping our own wards’ needs and COGTA is not acting against this corrupt form of governance.
10. For too long we have been excluded from local job opportunities and these opportunities are only awarded to volunteers of the ruling party and those close to councillors.
11. Those of us who are living in Osizweni in Newcastle demand that there be a construction of a space for work and trade to generate job opportunities and libraries for our youth.
12. We demand that NYDA offices, programs and information must be made known and also benefit Abahlali basaeMjondolo youth.
13. We demand electricity and all other basic services in shack settlements while waiting for decent housing.
14. We demand that planning and construction of all housing projects be undertaken in a transparent, participatory and democratic manner.
15. Those of our settlements located close to national roads, provincial roads and municipal roads have had enough of death. We demand the urgent construction of bridges or robot to save lives.
16. We demand to know the current status and future plans for all our shack settlements. We want to know when, where and how our housing are going to be built.
17. For too long the sale of RDP houses has been open to corruption with no prosecution. We demand credible investigation on all housing corruption.
18. For too long the issuing of Title Deeds has been delayed for no reason. We demand a speedily mechanism of ensuring secure tenure for all people in land occupations and in RDP housing.
19. We demand support for community run creches and gardens.
20. For too long councillors, BECs and ward committees have been used to control the people from the top down. We demand a bottom up system of participatory democracy.
We demand that COGTA act with justice on all these matters. We are prepared to fight for these rights in the streets and in courts.
Just like people around our country and the region we are concerned about violence against women. We demand justice and a safe environment for all women in our streets and in our homes. We continue to be concerned about the attacks on people born from other countries. And today we are equal concerned about discrimination on people born in other provinces.
Together with the fees must fall students around the country and the world we are concerned about expensive, low quality and colonised education. We demand free, decolonised and quality education for all.
If this Memorandum is received without conscious Abahlali baseMjondolo Movement SA will consider engaging in non stop protests.
Handed over by S’bu Zikode, president of Abahlali baseMjondolo Movement SA on the 26 June 2017 at 12:15pm.
Signature…………………………………
Received by……………………………………………whose position is……………………….…….on 26 June 2017 at……………..(time)
Signature…………………………………………………..
To follow up, please contact Thapelo Mohapi Abahlali General Secretary on 062 892 5323 or Mqapheli Bonono on 073 067 3274