The struggle of the poor against fake freedom continues

23 April 2026
Abahlali baseMjondolo Press Statement

The struggle of the poor against fake freedom continues

Thirty-two years into democracy, millions of people remain without land, without secure housing, and without a dignified life. Every year, around 11,000 children die from hunger and malnutrition in this country. Supermarkets continue to make large profits from the suffering of the poor. There is mass impoverishment and South Africa remains one of the most unequal societies in the world. The dignity of the people is denied every day. Political violence and repression remain a reality in South Africa.

For the poor, this so-called freedom has not brought access to land, secure housing, or safety. Every year, more and more people live in shacks, facing fires, floods and eviction. In the cities, business, politicians and the rich are united against the poor.

The crisis is deepening. Mass structural unemployment continues, and young people carry much of its weight and pain. In many communities there is a growing addiction crisis. Murder is widespread and women face frightening rates of violence. Some political parties are driving an increasingly violent xenophobic politics to distract people from the real causes of the crisis.

People occupy land because there is no land available to them, no affordable housing, and no public housing. In conditions of mass unemployment, occupation is how people secure a place to live. Land occupations must be understood as a form of grassroots urban planning by the poor themselves. The social value of land and the social function of land occupations must be recognised. Where there are real challenges around land use, they must be resolved through negotiation, not state violence.

The PIE Amendment Bill, gazetted by the GNU Cabinet on 16 April 2026, is a declaration of war against the poor. The original PIE Act provided important, although limited, protection for the poor. It required a court order before eviction and required courts to consider what is just and equitable, including whether people would be left homeless. These amendments weaken those protections and shift the law against the poor. Communities have resisted evictions and forced the state to account for itself. The state is changing the law to make evictions easier.

Courts will be able to grant eviction orders even where there is no alternative accommodation. Where the state says it has no resources, people will be put out with nowhere to go.

The Bill is also a direct attempt to criminalise the struggles of the poor. It will make it a crime to organise the struggles and organisations of the poor. It will make it a crime to organise land occupations. People acting in direct solidarity with communities in occupations will be at risk. The penalties will include fines of up to R2 million, prison sentences and the seizure of assets.

Membership fees, contributions for services and money used to build basic infrastructure will be treated as criminal. These are the ways people organise their lives.

The Bill will also target organised action. Courts will be required to consider the pace, scale and frequency of occupations when deciding urgent evictions. Being organised will count against you. Temporary accommodation will be limited in time, after which people will be removed again.

Our movement has faced unlawful repression and assassination for many years. This Bill attempts to legalise that repression. It is an outright attack on democracy.

We will oppose this Bill in the public consultation process, on the streets and in the courts. We will build an alliance against this Bill with progressive organisations of the poor and the working class, including trade unions. We welcome the statements by GIWUSA and SAFTU opposing this Bill. We will work together with radical lawyers and intellectuals willing to stand with the people in struggle.

This weekend, as part of UnFreedom Day, thousands of people will participate in political discussions in three provinces:

• In Gauteng, on 25 April 2026 at 09:00, at the Lindokuhle Mnguni Occupation in Johannesburg
• In KwaZulu-Natal, on 26 April 2026 at 09:00, at the Shakaskraal Occupation on the North Coast
• In Mpumalanga, on 26 April 2026 at 09:00, at Othando Hall in Perdekop

We continue to build the democratic power of the poor and socialism from below.

We will resist the war that has been declared on the poor. The PIE Amendment Bill will be defeated.

Contact person:

Thapelo Mohapi – 084 576 5117
Mqapheli Bonono – 073 067 3274
Sinenhlanhla Mcanyana – 073 832 331