Letter of concern: Kennedy Road Attacks

In 24 hours we collected 103 signatures of academics, professionals, students, activists, members of civil society organisations, authors based in South Africa and abroad.

28 September 2009

Letter of concern: Kennedy Road Attacks

We are greatly concerned about reports of violent attacks in Kennedy road that started this weekend. According to press releases from Abahlali baseMjondolo, a group of 40 armed men attacked a youth camp shouting ‘The AmaMpondo are taking over Kennedy. Kennedy is for the AmaZulu.’ Several deaths resulted, shacks have been burnt and many have fled and are hiding in the bush.

Many shack settlements in the Clare Estate area accommodate people from the Eastern Cape. Various language groups have co-habited in shack settlements relatively peacefully until now. This new violence that targets ethnicity and political affiliation is an extremely worrying development indeed. Also worrying are reports of the failure of the Sydenham police station to take action to defend the lives and property of shack residents.

We call on authorities to denounce the violence, to reaffirm that all are welcome in eThekwini regardless of origin and political affiliation, to protect the lives and property of those under attack, to provide shelter for those displaced, and to arrange a credible investigation.

Signed

1. Dr Sharad Chari, London School of Economics, UK

2. Professor David Spurrett, UKZN

3. Lliane Loots, UKZN

4. Prof Dori Posel, UKZN

5. Dr Firoze Manji, Director, Fahamu – Networks for Social Justice

6. Lara-Lee Burn, UKZN Alumni

7. Dr Michael Neocosmos, Honorary Professor in Global Movements Monash University, Australia and South Africa

8. Percy Ngonyama, UKZN Student (MA) and Activist

9. Jared Sacks, Executive Director of Children of South Africa

10. Ibrahim Steyn, Social science researcher and political activist Democracy Development Programme, Durban / UKZN

11. Jane Quin, Social Justice Education, UKZN

12. Richard Kuper, Friends of Workers Education in South Africa, London

13. Dr Claire Benit-Gbaffou, Senior Lecturer, Wits University

14. Sally Giles, UKZN

15. Dr. Sayed Iqbal Mohamed, chairperson, Organisation of Civic Rights (OCR)

16. Prof. Thenjiwe Meyiwa, Gender Studies Department, UKZN

17. Kelsey L. Draper, University of Cape Town

18. Dr Daniela Casale, School of Development Studies, UKZN

19. Mandisi Majavu, Africa Project for Participatory

20. Jenny Morgan, London

21. Libby Collins, Student Councilling, UKZN

22. Britt Baatjes, Freelancer

23. Wayne Hugo, Head of School Education and Development UKZN

24. Dr Corinne Sandwith, English, UKZN

25. Prof Martin Legassick

26. Prof Jill Bradbury, Psychology, UKZN

27. Raj Patel, Author, San Francisco

28. Kathryn Pillay, UKZN

29. Richard Ballard, UKZN

30. TarrynFrankish Schoolof Psychology, UKZN

31. KerryFrizelle Schoolof Psychology, UKZN

32. Crispin Hemson Education and Development, UKZN

33. Peter Machen, Durban

34. Sarah Osman

35. Kalinca Copello, Science and Technology Policy Research University of Sussex

36. Ekari Valerie Mbvundula

37. Richard Pithouse, Rhodes University

38. Saajidha Sader, Lecturer, Sch of Education & Development, University of KwaZulu-Natal

39. Tessa Moll, University of Cape Town grad student

40. Dr Sarah Glynn, University of St Andrews, Scotland

41. Lubna Nadvi (UKZN)

42. Florian Kaefer Journalist, Germany

43. Salim Vally, senior researcher, Centre for Education Rights and Transformation, University of Johannesburg

44. Kerry Vermaak, UKZN

45. Sophie Oldfield, Geography, UCT

46. Filippo Mondini, Comboni Missionary. Castel Volturno, Italy

47. Monika Vykoukal, University of Wolverhampton

48. Associate Professor, Department of History, UKZN (Howard College)

49. Anna Selmeczi, Central European University (Budapest, Hungary)

50. Kally Forrest, Editor South African Labour Bulletin

51. Natalie Schell (University of Cape Town)

52. Patrick Bond, University of KwaZulu-Natal Centre for Civil Society, Durban

53. Nigel Gibson, Emerson, US

54. Children of Fire TrustandChildren of Fire International

55. Michal Singer, Struggles for Justice Programme, South African History Archive (SAHA), William Cullen Library, University of the Witwatersrand

56. Tasmi Quazi, UKZN

57. Francie Lund, UKZN

58. Toussaint Losier, University of Chicago, United States of America

59. Dr Monique Marks, Sociology, UKZN

60. Adrian Bellengere, Law, UKZN

61. Amanda Alexander, Columbia University, New York, USA

62. Katie Mazer, University of Toronto, Canada

63. Chris, 56a Infoshop, London

64. Mduduzi Hlongwa, UKZN

65. Shailly Barnes, CiViSOL – Colombia, United States

66. Dr Laurence Cox, Dept. of Sociology, National University of Ireland Maynooth.

67. Desmond D’Sa SDCEA Co-Ordinator

68. Peter Mietzner, Namibia

69. Amanda Barratt, Humanities Access Programme University of KwaZulu-Natal

70. Antonis Vradis, London School of Economics, Geography

71. Gill Hart, UKZN and/or University of California Berkeley

72. David Szanton, Berkeley California

73. Dr Stuart Hodkinson, School of Geography, University of Leeds

74. Wendy Willems, International Programmes Research Officer, War on Want

75. David Hallowes, Independent researcher

76. Ann Eveleth, independent writer, researcher & activist, Washington DC, USA

77. Laura Huss UCT Masters Development Studies Student and Researcher

78. Margaret Jack, Durban

79. Kerry Chance, Chicago University

80. Anthony Collins, UKZN

81. Jessica Wilczak, Department of Geography and Program in Planning, University of Toronto

82. Shannon Walsh, Miguel University, Montreal

83. Max Andrucki, Leeds University, UK

84. Dr Nathalia E. Jaramillo, Educational Studies and Cultural Foundations Purdue University

85. Robert Sniderman

86. Pamela Yates, President, Skylight Pictures, Inc. NY,

87. Ally Brundige, Yale Divinity School, USA.

88. Ally Brundige, Yale Divinity School, USA.

89. Francesco Gastaldon, University of Bologna, Italy.

90. Huffa Frobes-Cross, Columbia University, Art History PhD

91. Antonio Moretti, US.

92. Carla Klassen, University of Toronto, Canada

93. John Grayson, A/L Sheffield Hallam University,U.K.

94. Imraan Valodia, UKZN

95. Elizabeth Brundige, Yale Law School, United States of America

96. John Minto, Global Peace and Justice Auckland, former anti-apartheid activist (HART)

97. Jumani Clarke (MA student, Development Studies, Sociology, University of Cape Town)

98. Steven Robins, University of Stellenbosch

99. Maya Semans, Boston, Massachusetts, Student at Simmons College

100. Dr Jérôme Tournadre-Plancq, Researcher, Centre national de la recherche scientifique, Institut des sciences sociales du politique (Université Paris X)

101. Aaron Dallek

102. Jim Gladwin, Citizens Against Privatisation, Auckland, New Zealand

103. Professor Peter McLaren, University of California, Los Angeles