http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/asset/AFR53/011/2009/en/53fce922-d49e-4537-b3bb-84060cf84c85/afr530112009en.html

South Africa: Failure to conduct impartial investigation into Kennedy Road violence is leading to further human rights abuses

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL

PUBLIC DOCUMENT AI Index: AFR 53/011/2009

16 December 2009

Amnesty International deplores the continuing failure of the South African authorities to investigate impartially and fully human rights abuses which occurred during and after armed violence at the Kennedy Road Informal Settlement (Kennedy Road) in Durban last September. This despite repeated calls since October for an independent and impartial commission of inquiry into the surrounding circumstances and extent of the violence and its aftermath.

Click here to read this statement in French.

30 November 2009
Abahlali baseMjondolo Press Statement

All We Want is Justice

The Kennedy Thirteen were back at court on Friday for their 6th attempt at requesting bail. After two months in detention all charges were dropped against one of the thirteen, six were given bail and the other five were remanded in custody to give the police one more chance to bring some evidence against them to the court. The next court date has been set for 11 December 2009. This will be the 7th opportunity given to the police to provide some evidence of guilt.

http://www.isolezwe.co.za/index.php?fArticleId=5266707

Olwasemijondolo lungenelelwe yiBandla lamaSheshi

November 30, 2009 Edition 1

CELANI SIKHAKHANE

ABEBANDLA lamaSheshi KwaZulu-Natal bathi bazosungula uphenyo oluzimele ngezigameko zokuhlaselwa kwabahlali basemijondolo yakuKennedy Road.

Leli bandla likusho lokhu ngemuva kokuzwakalisa ukunganeliseki ngendlela amaphoyisa aqhuba ngayo uphenyo ngokubulawa kwabantu okwenzeke ezinyangeni ezimbalwa kuleya mijondolo .

UMbhishobhi waleli bandla, uRuben Phillip, uthe ngenxa yokunganeliseki ngokuphenya kwamaphoyisa, sebethathe isinqumo sokuba bazisungulele bona uphenyo oluzimele noluzocacisa kabanzi ngokuhlukumezeka kwabantu kuleya mijondolo .

28 November 2009
Diakonia Council of Churches

'Produce the evidence’, demands Bishop Rubin Phillip

Anglican Bishop Rubin Phillip has demanded that the state provides evidence in the
case against the Kennedy Road 13, or release the accused.

Bishop Rubin Phillip was addressing about fifty people, mostly church leaders and family members of the Kennedy 13, who had gathered for a prayer service organised by Diakonia Council of Churches, at the Durban Magistrates’ Courts.

In a moving speech Bishop Rubin said, “What we are demanding from the state is that they provide the evidence that these men did wrong. If they did indeed do anything wrong, then prosecute them. If there is no evidence, release them now.”

Presentation at the Development Action Group Workshop
Cape Town, 18 November 2009

by Mnikelo Ndabankulu

We Want the Full Loaf (not just a child support grant)

The Slums Act

The Slums Act first came to our ears as a Bill in 2006. The information about this Bill came to us indirectly through our sources.

It was clear that we needed to discuss this Bill as Abahlali. M'du Hlongwa and I both went to the Government Communications to ask a copy. We had two copies and we shared these copies and we analysed the Bill. We had a number of meetings where we read the Bill together going one line by one line.

Abahlali baseMjondolo of the Western Cape
Press Statement, Friday 27 November 2009

Protest Against State Repression to be Held at at Macassar Village Tomorrow

We will be holding a protest against state repression at New Road, Maccassar Village, from 11:00 on Saturday 28 November 2009.

Our movement is under serious attack in Durban. Our comrades in Abahlali baseMjondolo in Durban have been attacked and had their homes destroyed by an armed ANC militia supported by the local police and politicians. They have also been arrested, denied bail, beaten while in custody and attacked and seriously beaten by the police while going about their ordinary activities in their communities. Many of our comrades are living under death threats and have been turned into refugees. Many of our comrades are no longer able to appear in public in Durban. There have been longstanding problems with democracy in Durban but it is now clear that there is no longer any democracy in Durban. Durban ceased to be a democratic city on 26 September 2009 when this wave of violent repression was launched against our movement.

http://www.witness.co.za/index.php?showcontent&global[_id]=31596

Churches want justice
25 Nov 2009
Jared Sacks

BISHOP Rubin Phillip, one of the most respected Christian leaders and anti-apartheid activists in South Africa, last week published a landmark statement calling the court proceedings of the Kennedy 13 “a moral and legal outrage that amounts to detention without trial by means of delay”. He has also used the words “kangaroo court”, “political agenda” and “a travesty of justice” to describe the legal process.

Grave Concerns about the Detention without Trial of the Kennedy Thirteen:

This Travesty Must End

18 November 2009

After their 6th inconclusive bail hearing today, it is now abundantly clear that the legal process for the Kennedy 13 is a complete travesty of justice. They are scheduled to appear again on the 27th November. By that time, some of accused will have been in prison for 2 months without trial - two months in prison without any evidence being presented to a court and without a decision on bail. This is a moral and legal outrage that amounts to detention without trial by means of delay. In our view, it borders on unlawful detention. I am, tonight, issuing a call for their immediate release - justice has been delayed far beyond the point at which it was clear that it had been denied.

Update: The Kennedy Road 13 have now appeared in court on 6 occasions since they were first arrested to request bail. On each occasion there has been a highly intimidatory and armed presence from the ANC, often making open threats of various sorts including death threats. On each occasion the prosecution have not been able to bring any evidence before the court indicating that the accused are guilty of the crimes with which they have been charged. On each occasion a ruling has been postponed while the police have been given more time to produce this evidence. On each occasion they have failed to do so. The next bail hearing will be on 18 November.

This addendum to yesterday's press release was received late last night via cellphone text message from Reverend Mavuso Mbhekeseni. Please contact the Reverend for further details on the threats to the clergy, the chairperson of the AbM Women's League and others, at the court yesterday.

The ANC mob was swearing at us in court saying that we are corrupt church leaders who support criminals. They threatened to catch us and kill us in the city. They said that they would describe us to all their people by the clothes we were wearing. They also threatened the chairperson of the AbM women's league although she was not present at the court. They threatened her by name, shouted and swore at her name, and said that she is a "a thief who wears pants bought with the money from Kennedy Road people." The ANC mob was armed with sticks and other sharp objects. They were highly intimidating and it was clear that their threats were serious - they meant what they were saying.