Abahlali baseMjondolo Emergency Press Release
27 May 2009
Another Illegal Demolition in Siyanda – call for the immediate arrest of Municipal Official
Yesterday Mr. Bonginkosi Hlengwe, an official in the eThekwini Municipal Housing Department, went to the home of Mpume Nompumelelo in Siyanda Section B, Durban with Municipal Workers and the police. The municipal workers demolished her toilet. Today they returned and demolished her home. So far only one shack has been destroyed but they may destory more soon.
The municipality want to build RDP houses, for other people, in the area – i.e. the people that have lost their home will not bennefit from the construction of the new houses. The eThekwini Municipality had no court order and therefore the demolition was another illegal and in fact criminal offence on the part of the municipality. It is a sad fact that the police are being used to protect the municiaplity s criminality rather than to follow the law and to protect the people from the municipality s criminality.
No alternative accommodation has been provided for the family that have lost their home. They have just been left homeless.
As a movement we are calling for the immediate arrest and prosecution of Mr. Bonginkosi Hlengwe and all government officials, in all cities in South Africa, that give orders for these sorts of criminal attacks on the poor.
We are also calling for the legal community to take this state criminality seriously and to offer pro bono legal support to people and communities that are being victimised in the state s illegal and criminal war on the poor. Most times poor people that are victims of state criminality in Durban are unable to find lawyers. It is the same in Cape Town.
Finally we are also calling for all municipal workers unions to refuse to carry out any orders from their bosses to unlawfully demolish people s homes.
For more information contact Mpume Nompumelelo on 078 267 8169
