Protest Happening Now at Kennedy Road

Abahlali baseMjondolo Press Statement
Wednesday, 12 October 2011

Abahlali baseMjondolo have started shacking

On Tuesday, 10 October 2011 at 10:00am in our office we held a press conference
were we said that if the Councillors, Mayors, and all sorts of government do
not meet with the people on the grassroots and have a collective decision
making then we will be unable to stop the anger of the people.

While we were still having the conference the Siyanda ward 41 councillor, Mr
Lucky Mdlalose, was busy employing his own friends to work in the community.
This this resulted in the anger of the community mobilizing them to stop the

project that was about to start without involving the community or having spoken with them. The Siyanda people have taught Mdlalose a lesson not to take
decisions for them without them by stopping the project. Everything was put to
a standstill.

Now the Kennedy Road residents have followed in the footsteps of Siyanda for
the very same reasons of having decisions taken for them without them. This
time the councillor gave strict instructions to the employer of a project only
to employ certain people without consulting with the local residents. This
has angered the community in a way that they have stopped everything that is
happening in Kennedy Road and have requested to see the employer to negotiate a
fair and open employment practice on this project. However he has disappeared
and the councillor has switched his mobile off so he won’t be reached.
Kennedy Road residents have decided to sit outside the gate until there is an
agreement on a fair employment plan, collectively and openly negotiated, for
this project.

This top down system needs to come to an end before something bad happens. The
people are desperate and suffering terribly without employment. Yet when jobs
come they only go to party members and friends of the councillors. Development
has been personalised and it has been politicised.

Our government keeps on failing his country. As we have been saying that
employment is only reserved to ANC card carrying members this has resulted to
the blockade of streets by the community and even the police officers who are
said to be protecting the community now are threatening the community of
Kennedy Road.

We would like all journalists to rush to the scene at the Kennedy Road Shack
Settlement.

For more information please contact:

Busisiwe Ntwana (KR Chairperson : 078 191 3021)
Sindi Maluleka (KR Coordinator 073 234 4281)
Abahlali : 031 304 6420