City Attacks Community in Verulam

This morning at about 10 the Anti-Land Invasion Unit attacked a small community in Parkgate in Verulam in Durban. This community falls under Ward 102.

This is a community of about 75 people, including school going children, living in about 20 houses. This community has lived on this land since 2016.

A few days ago the City arrived and, without explanation marked ten houses with an ‘X’. Today they destroyed these ten houses, and then continued to destroy another 5 houses before the community was able to organise resistance and save the last five houses. Their belongings were also thrown out and destroyed. They have been left destitute.

As is usual in Durban there was no court order and this eviction was, therefore, an illegal and criminal act on the part of the City.

This attack was not an isolated event. There are constant attacks by the City on impoverished people. In the Azania land occupation in Mayville in Ward 29 there have been repeated illegal attacks on the occupiers. After having their homes, which numbered more than 50, repeatedly destroyed they built one large structure to stay together and continue the resistance. Even this structure has been attacked and destroyed.

In Zamokuhle in eKuphumeleleni near Shallcross, which is in Ward 17, there was another eviction yesterday. As usual there was no court order. There are 120 homes in this occupation. Ten were destroyed before the community could organise to stop the attack.

In Durban impoverished people face a systematically illegal, criminal and violent form of governance at the hands of the eThekwini Municipality. This state criminality and violence is not taken as a crisis by the media and civil society. It is taken as normal. This is because impoverished black people are not really considered to be full and equal citizens of this country.

We reject state criminality and violence, and will continue to oppose it from the land occupations, in the streets and in the courts. We will continue to insist on the full recognition of our human dignity.

Mqapheli Bonono: 073 067 3274
Thulani Cele: 065 964 7810