In Solidarity of Abahlali Leaders at Durban Kennedy Road

These kinds of attacks to our comrades are completely unacceptable, we know this is not the first time for our comrades to be attacked, as much as previously they were attacked by group of unknown people but the current attacks at Kennedy road clarifies that the ANC had been behind these attacks with a view to push our strong comrades out of mobilized communities so that they can reclaim the leadership of those communities.

This is clear that people who attacked me last year September 2008 and took my valuable belongings including my laptop which I was using to store the movements confidential information were also sent by the ANC to attack me.

Sbu Zikode the president of Abahlali DBN was also attacked last year by unknown people as a results of that at last year’s annual general meeting of ABM DBN he declined the nomination as the president of the movement for the 4th time and he was forced to the position by people of Kennedy because of his leadership style and democratic practices which the ANC government failed to do and instead of the ANC to learn from the movement on how to lead the poor they are doing all of their best to ensure that they kill the movement whatever they can.

I salute comrade Sbu ZIkode and Lindela for their courage in leading the poor, these two comrades after they were attacked last year they refused to leave the settlement, even if their attackers were passing a strong message of future attacks if they don’t leave the settlement.

And I condemned the current incident at Kennedy Road by ANC members to demolish the structures of these two comrades, these kind of behavior is completely unacceptable and this means that our comrades does not have a right to freedom of expression and affiliation.
I also condemn the failure from the police to act immediately, because if they had handled the attack of the ABM youth league camp seriously they would have been able to prevent the situation and arrest the culprits at scene.

I call upon to arrogant ANC members to allow people of Kennedy their right to choose freely their political affiliation without a fear of intimidation or being attacked or killed by the ANC.

The ANC must not think that they will win our settlement by intimidating the strong leaders of our movement; we will make sure that the movement does not collapse and it continues to grow throughout the country.

Qina Qabane Sbu Zikode and Lindela, I know to lose your houses guys its not a small thing but let us be glad that you are still alive, as you have survived bullets early Sunday 27 September 2009.

By: Mzonke Poni
The Chairperson of Abahlali Western Cape
073 2562 036/ mzonkep@gmail.com or abmwesterncape@abahlali.org