June 16th Commemoration to be Held at the Macassar Village Occupation

Click here to read the report on this event in the Cape Argus.

Abahlali baseMjondolo of the Western Cape Press Statement
15 June 2009

June 16th Commemoration to be Held at the Macassar Village Occupation

Every year since 2005 Abahlali baseMjondolo has de-celebrated Freedom Day by holding UnFreedom Day in Durban. Now that tradition will continue in Cape Town and Johannesburg as the Poor People's Alliance organises to begin the process of taking back our history of struggle from the politicians. This history belongs to the people and tomorrow the Poor People's Alliance will be retracing the route of the 1976 June 16th protest in Soweto, Johannesburg. Here in Cape Town we have been focussing on mobilising other communities to support the Macassar Village Occupation. During these meetings we have discussed what would should do to take forward the programme of the Poor People's Alliance on June 16th.

We have decided to hold our event on the site of the Macassar Village Occupation and with the brave comrades who continue to hold the land there. We will discuss the meaning of June 16th for us today and how to take that spirit of resistance forward today. We will also discuss how we can support Mzonke Poni when he appears in court again on a trumped up charge on 17 June 2009 while the government officials who break the law by demolishing shacks illegally, even against court interdicts, and assaulting and intimidating people remain free.

For more information on the Macassar Village Occupation visit these links:

# http://abahlali.org/?cat=1255
# http://www.khayelitshastruggles.com/search/label/Macassar
# http://www.khayelitshastruggles.com/search/label/Macassar%20Village
# http://en.wordpress.com/tag/macassar/

For further information on tomorrow's June 16th event at the Macassar Village Occupation please contact:

Theliwe Macikiswana:083 248 1658