Amadiba Crisis Committee 2021-07-23:

“Our Land – Our Harvest” Urgent aid to Abahlali baseMjondolo

Today Friday 23 July, a bakkie full of sweet potatoes, amadumbe, beans, oranges from the coast of Amadiba in Eastern Cape arrived at Briandene community north of Durban.

200 houses and shacks were burnt to the ground in Briandene during the unrest in Durban. Nobody knows who committed this crime. People lost everything in the fire. Hundreds of women, children and men found themselves under the open sky.

Luckily, the owner of a scrap yard next to the settlement has allowed women and children a shelter. Others have donated tents for the men to sleep in.

Hundreds of households in Amadiba contributed some 2000 litres or close to a tonne of fresh produce, directly from our recent harvest, as much as could be carried by a bakkie.

As ACC, we finally could give back for the solidarity that the brave shack dweller movement Abahlali baseMjondolo have given to us for many years in our struggle. Our answer was long overdue.

Long live the AbM! Long live the comrades of Briandene!

The solidarity in action from Amadiba was only possible because we for two decades have defended our ancestral land from mining. Our ancestors defended this land during the Pondo Revolt. Their decision, courage and resolve benefit us now. We continue to feed ourselves and our neighbours from this land.

THIS IS “THE ECONOMY”, no matter if the elite speak of something else. Our community can and will never rest in our defence of this land.

Solidarity to each other is so important. Solidarity crosses borders. We stand together, both in defence of land and in demand for land and food security. There is no place for tribalism or racism in the situation that our country finds itself in. We need each other.

ENDS

Amadiba Crisis Committee

Spokesperson: Nonhle Mbuthuma 0763592982