SMS diary – Follow-up on Makause Development Forum’s ousting by the ANC, and its remobilisation

27 June 2011 (evening) – Today Michael and I consulted with SERI to get their legal advice on this matter. Unfortunately there’s not much that they can do and we also highlighted the negative involvement of the SAPS which might also compromise our personal safety and Makause more as threats of burning down our shacks and looting the Somalians’ shops made in police presence. So we and SERI agreed on strategic approaches of dealing with these challenges: 1) to remobilise the community through section by section mass meetings with the assistance/presence of SERI starting this coming Wednesday … (rest of sms missing and not recovered)

27 June 2011 (evening) – I received a solidarity call from AbM President S'bu Zikode while I was in a meeting with Ms Kate Tissington at SERI today. Then brief advice from Advocate S. Wilson, then joined by Attorney Osmond Mngomezulu, active attorney in record on our land case. So we are registering our community for legal protection by SERI through Makause Development Forum (power of attorney forms to cover only those who registered by us for land case). These mobilisation meetings are the build up meeting to the broader Makause mass meeting to be held soon after the stakeholders meeting we used to have every month, so this time we would like to invite even the senior leaders of the ANC with all solidarity supporting movements, organisations, councillor, academics, AbM (S'bu if possible/Richard). Director of SERI also expressed her concerns more on the issue of intimidations/threats. Media’s also another vehicle to be used in fighting back through media invites to all these meetings and after and also publishing weekly media reports .

28 June 2011 (midday) – Latest: This morning I received a call from the City Parks Official (Levhuani) telling me that he’s being approached by the ANCYL from the same group of Primrose Branch requesting that the tree (cutting) project be conducted under them as they are a new leadership, but he told them that Finance Department has withdrawn the money for the project due to their disruptions of the project. This project has been the community’s request – in 2009 we made a submission in the IDP process. ANC told their tenderpreneurship cadres that all our initiative will be taken over by them, so he also agreed that we (Makause Development Forum) are the legitimate leadership that fought for all those development projects. Levhuani was also part of the site inspection team that was here with the Mayor prior to the May 18 2011 election.

30 June 2011 (evening) – Latest: The Head of VISPOL (Visible Policing Unit) today called the Somalians to the business meeting with the new Station Commander to introduce the un-constitutionally adopted leadership to the new Station Commander and they say over this weekend they’ll call a mass meeting to inform the community about working with them as he says we no longer exist according to him and his new team. On the remobilisation campaign, we obtained over 200 signatures of support from one section from the door to door mobilisation in a peaceful way and tomorrow we continue at other sections and our registration is open to all our community who still supporting our initiatives and leadership. On the meeting yesterday of SAPS and Business Forum it was about compelling the Somalians to work with the new structure and no longer with us. This is from Somalians themselves telling me and as they stated that they are on our side all the way, so on Monday we’ll interview them with the M&G journalist as they are so scared of what is going to happen next, they say they don’t trust the SAPS any more. We also mobilised them as we feel their pain. “Aluta Continua”. MORE FIRE, It's enough with police brutality – Sekwanele!

1 July 2011 (evening) – Today’s remobilisation meeting took place at Extension 3 of Makause at 16.00pm with the great support of Pastor Frikkie Spies of El Shammah Ministries Int., Pastor Elias Leholo of Fire of God Ministries, Attorney Osmond Mngomezulu and Lwazi for SERI. The meeting agenda: 1) Welcome and opening by Secretary Michael Dzai, 2) Purpose of the meeting by General Moyo, 2.1) Matters arising / tension and prevailing situation (ANC divide and rule), 2.2) land negotiations progress by Attorney Osmond from SERI, 2.3) Way forward by the community, 2.4) Reports by General Moyo, 2.5) Signing of power of attorney forms by residents. Ended at 17:47pm.

2 July (midday) – Latest: Yesterday SERI’s attorney gave back hope to the divided and confused community of Extension 3 Makause settlement, in terms of the progress made by Makause Community Development Forum (MACODEFO) (organisation) in land negotiations and in championing the improvement of services and empowerment of our community, and that was also supported by pastors and the community. On Thursday Head of VISPOL (Visible Policing) Unit who was influencing the ANC mob in overthrowing the MACODEFO called a Business Forum meeting to introduce his new leadership to the new acting Head of the police station and that meeting will be at Makause Sports Ground tomorrow (re-introducing the new leadership, and bringing the new acting Head of Primrose Police Station there so that he thinks they’re the legitimate leadership).

2 July (evening) – The motive of the Head of VISPOL in this whole thing of overthrowing us and supporting the ANC led mob is based much on money and position, from beginning of June he was an acting station commander and he wanted to be the head full time so he phoned me to ask for my support in organising a protest to prevent the appointment of the new head, so I didn’t comply. Then he wanted to make the area ungovernable so to keep taxing shops, taverns and erection of new shacks for him to gain power to centralise everything in Makause and this is his second attempt of overthrowing us. First attempt was after he sent the Red Ants to come and destroy people’s shacks and fight started between residents and Red Ants, in that one Red Ants Supervisor (Thulani) was shot and hospitalised. A case was opened by Red Ants against us, but withdrawn after we also reported to ICD and Red Ants stating that they were called by the Head of VISPOL (2007 / B-) since then our relationship with Primrose Station never worked more as they also sold our community during the 2007 forced evictions by signing the fraudulent documents to be people’s consent forms to (be relocated to) Tsakane Extension 10 about 40km from Makause.

3 July (noon) – The SAPC and ANC meeting scheduled for today never happened due to our powerful and well supported meeting held on Friday, so their informers told about the support and the community’s standing which is on our side. So today I took the campaign to the churches visiting to remobilise and later I’ve rushed to Harry Gwala settlement taking the campaign to our neighbouring settlements as tomorrow I’ll be visiting Ramaphosa settlement who are giving solidarity support to our struggles. Aluta Continua. “More Fire”.

3 July (afternoon) – Today I’m at the unveiling ceremony in Benoni a few minutes’ walk from Harry Gwala to also have an opportunity to have a short briefing with the Harry Gwala leadership about the situation in Makause and also get their state of progress in terms of in situ upgrading of their settlement. I heard that that’ll start by next month as urgent letter written by the leadership (Bazino) in inquiring to the authorities. Tomorrow I’ll be hosting the Mail and Guardian journalists to finalise the Makause story, then from there I’ll rush to Ramaphosa to also have a briefing with the leadership.

Contact: Alfred Moyo (General) – 0734307006, generalmoyo@gmail.com