Privatising ‘influx control’? KZN land invasion tender raises many questions.

http://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2015-02-18-privatising-influx-control-kzn-land-invasion-tender-raises-many-questions.#.VOWZPPmUdxh

A tender for specialised security services for an anti-land invasion squad in KwaZulu Natal has raised questions about the legality and constitutionality of the proposed unit. The private company will be expected to – among other functions – predict the occupation of government assets and land by “political opportunists”, “hold fort” in the absence of government security agencies as well as gather intelligence on private citizens. By MARIANNE THAMM.

Government Tender Bulletin, 16 January, Volume 595, Page 139:

Between routine calls for suppliers for water quality analysis, plumbing, building, stationery and printing supplies, it is an “invitation for proposals” by the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Human Settlements for “specialised security services for an anti-land invasion unit” that alarmingly pops out on page 139, mostly for the securocratic flourish of its language. Continue reading →

How Bandile Mdlalose betrayed us in Mandela Complex until we were evicted from Newland West flats

Mandela Complex in Newland West Community press statement

Monday, 29 December 2014

How Bandile Mdlalose betrayed us in Mandela Complex until we were evicted from Newland West flats

We the community of Mandela Complex have come from different back grounds before occupying these flats in Castle Hill, Newland West. Some of us came from Parlock, after we were removed for the road reserved and relocated into Polokwane transit camps. Some of us came from Siyanda and we were also removed to make way for Dumisani Makhaye Road. Some of us came from the surrounding shack settlements in the area and were authorized by a local councillor Lubhede to occupy these flats. When we got into transit camps the councillor told us that the city does not have land for us but we were going to live temporarily on the transit camps. Immediately after that we saw the construction of flats taking place but we were surprised because we were told that there was no land. We went to ask the local councillor Mr Lubhede if the flats were being built for us but Lubhede did not want to answer us and chose to distance himself from us and from the questions we have asked. Continue reading →

An Old Snake in a New Skin – From Raymond Masondo to Heinrich Bohmke and Bandile Mdlalose

6 February 2015

Abahlali baseMjondolo Statement

An Old Snake in a New Skin – From Raymond Masondo to Heinrich Bohmke and Bandile Mdlalose

In 2006, when we made it clear that we would not give up our autonomy to the NGOs and walked out of a meeting at the Centre for Civil Society (CCS) at UKZN, some NGO workers, such as Mondli Hlatswayo, rushed to call us criminals on emails and in the press. At the time we could see no difference between how these NGOs responded to our insistence on our right to organise ourselves, to think for ourselves and to take our own positions and how the state responded. They both declared that we were criminals under the control of a white man.

As everyone who is familiar with the history of our movement knows since then we have been subject to constant defamation from a small group of people, all linked in different ways to CCS. These same people have never said a word when we have faced evictions, arrests, beatings, torture and murder. We continue to see very strong parallels between how the state responds to our movement and how some NGOs respond to our movement. Continue reading →

Occupiers Attacked by ANC Mob in Verulam

Thursday, 29 January 2015

Abahlali baseMjondolo Press Statement

 

Occupiers Attacked by ANC Mob in Verulam

Last night and this morning around a hundred families occupying municipal flats in in Hammond’s Farm in Waterloo, Verulam, North of Durban came under sustained attack by an ANC mob and then the Land Occupations Unit, both acting with the support for the police.

The flats were occupied in November 2014. They had been left empty for years and it is alleged that the councillor from ward 58 began selling them for a minimum price of R10 000 each. At this point homeless residents took the decision to occupy. Continue reading →

Comrades from the Mandela Complex protesting outside the Durban High Court – 27 January 2015

Comrades from the Mandela Complex protesting outside the Durban High Court – 27 January 2015. They have successfully secured an interdict stopping Jay Singh from moving new tenants into the flats from which the comrades were evicted in December after a one year occupation. The next legal step is to secure an order allowing them to return to the flats. The political struggle for land and housing continues outside the court, including at the ongoing occupation outside the block of flats. The Mandela Complex comrades return to court on the 5th of February 2015.