UnFreedom Day in Cape Town

UnFreedom Day 2013 in Cape Town

Wednesday, April 24, 2013
Abahlali baseMjondolo of the Western Cape Press Statement

UnFreedom Day in Cape Town

Abahlali baseMjondolo Movement SA, a democratic and membership based organization, has held its UnFreedom Day event in Durban every year since 2006. This year UnFreedom Day will be held in Cape Town for the first time. UnFreedom Day will be mourned at the Sweet Home Farm Community Hall in Philippi, on 27 April 2013. The event will begin at 09:00 in the morning.

Our movement is growing in Cape Town. We will be launching in Delft on Thursday. There are now also requests to start branches in Mdantsane and Bizana in the Eastern Cape.

Our movement stands for the full restoration of the dignity of all people who live in South Africa. We are a movement of the poor, by the poor and for the poor. The poor, and especially the black poor, have been left out of this new South Africa. The time has come for us to organize to take our place in this country. We are working, from below, towards the realization of a free society in a country where there is Peace, Justice and Equality. It is clear that in order to achieve Peace, Justice and Equality we will have to make sure that Land, Wealth and Power are shared fairly and equally and that no one is allowed to operate as if they are above the law of the land and no one is treated as if they are beneath the law of the land.

It is an urgent priority that all evictions must stop, that people must be allowed to occupy unused land and that the government must act to put the social value of land before its commercial value.

We will not see progress in this country until we as the poor are able to build our political power. We will not be able to build our political power if our struggles are constantly repressed. It is therefore an urgent priority that we must be allowed to organize freely and that repression of our struggles and organisations must stop.

We are always told that the Constitution of this Land is the Supreme Law of this country. Yet some of the Politicians, some of the Police and some of the Government Officials are the first to break the law. They act as if they are above the law and we are beneath the law. The protections that the law offers to us on paper are denied to us in reality. There must, on paper and in reality, be one law for one country. We are not yet free until everyone learns and realizes that one’s freedom ends immediately where the freedom of others begins and that, therefore, in order for us to enjoy our rights peacefully, one must not practice one's rights while tramping on the rights of others.

This movement is determined to build a peace loving Nation, that will produce God fearing leaders – leaders that will put the people, all of the people, before their own personal gains and selfishness. No leader should ever become rich through politics. Mothers and Fathers should raise families with a clear conscience, where children are brought up in a more responsible manner for them to become good, loving, caring, honest citizens committed to peace and justice and respect for all other people. No woman should feel unsafe in the streets or in her home. No one should fear that the government will evict them. No one should have to live in mud and fire. No one should fear that democratic organising will lead to repression. We look forward to a true nation which will stand as proof that all humans were created in the image of the Almighty God the Creator and deserve to be treated with respect and dignity.

Join us on this historical day. You will never regret.

For more information contact:

Siyamboleka James @ 073 015 1454
Thembani Maqwazima @ 071 260 4119
Cindy Ketani @ 0760866690
TJ Ngongoma @ 084 613 9772