Abahlali baseMjondolo Press Release
Friday, 19 March 2010

Sutcliffe Continues His War on the Poor

The notorious Michael Sutcliffe continues to launch illegal attacks on our basic democratic rights.

He has now given in to our pressure and removed his illegal ban on our right to march but he has issued a permit that only allows us to march from Botha Park to Albert Park. Our march on Jacob Zuma, scheduled for 22 March 2010, was planned to go from Botha Park through Pixley KaSeme Street and to the City Hall. But Sutcliffe’s unilateral imposition of unreasonable restrictions on our right to protest means that we will only be able to march about 600m and that our march will be kept far away from the centre of the city – it will be hidden away, just like a transit camp.

Abahlali baseMjondolo Press Statement
Tuesday, 16 March 2010

Abahlali baseMjondolo Press Conference on Friday 19 March 2010

Venue: St Paul's Church, 161 Pine Street, Durban 031-305 466
Date: Friday 19 March 2010
Time: 10h00 a.m.

There is a deep corruption at the top of our society and a deep anger at the bottom of our society. As the dirty deeds of the tenderpreneurs are being dragged into the light by the media and as the police become ever more violent the poor are taking to the streets across the country in ever greater numbers. We continue to believe that the only way for this country to heal itself is for the poor to organise the poor so that we can increase our power and decrease that of the politicians, the rich and their civil society. Since the attack on our movement in September last year we have expanded into eight new areas despite ongoing repression and harassment. Now is the time to unite all our branches, the old areas and the new, to defy the ongoing campaign of repression, and to take our demands to the streets of our city.

Abahlali baseMjondolo Press Statement
11 March 2010

Mike Sutcliffe Bans another Abahlali baseMjondolo March

The notorious Mike Sutcliffe has banned another Abahlali baseMjondolo march. We have, as always, scrupulously followed the laws that govern protest and we have informed the City in good time that we intend to march on Jacob Zuma on 22 March 2010. Yesterday the march convenor, Troy Morrow from the Hillary AbM branch, was verbally informed that permission to march has been denied. The excuse that has been given this time is that the City does not have enough police officers to be able to ensure security at our march.

Update:13:00, 11 February 2009 - UPM Comrades Arrested

Ayanda Kota from the UPM in Grahamstown, along with Vuyisele Mafemuka, from the UPM in Cape Town, have been arrested while picketing outside parliament. When they asked what the charges were they were pepper sprayed at point blank range and they have since been pepper sprayed repeatedly.

They are currently in a police van and Ayanda still has his phone on him. They don’t yet know which station they will be taken too. Ayanda’s number is 078 625 6462. Please spread the word. The media need to know and, also, people in Cape Town who can offer quick and practical solidarity – legal support, public protest, a physical presence at the police station etc.

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.

Anti-Eviction Press Release
On behalf of Mandela Park
Thursday 12 November 2009

Hundreds protested yesterday in Mandela Park after assault by Chippa security guards. Demonstrations to continue…

Click here for some photos of last night’s mass protest.

Yesterday morning, two Mandela Park residents were assaulted by four Chippa security guards at the instruction of the local SANCO chairperson. The two residents along with 7 witnesses went to the police station to lay a charge against the guards. As retribution, the local SANCO chairperson laid a counter charge of intimidation against one of the residents who he ordered to be assaulted – backyarder Khaya Xintolo. Khaya was then arrested and kept in police custody for more than 11 hours even though the detective himself admitted that there was no case against Khaya.

Gugulethu AEC Press Alert
29 October 2009 at 15h30

Police shoot residents in peaceful AEC protest against Gugs Mall

The Gugulethu police interrupted a peaceful protest by the Gugulethu Anti-Eviction Campaign this afternoon. Without warning residents at all, they shot at us with rubber bullets injuring dozens and arresting many others.

The much of the crowd was made up of old women and there were a lot of children also present. A 17 year old lady was shot in the face by the police and is now seriously injured and at the hospital.

At the moment we are not sure how many people have been shot and arrested. We do know, however, that today the police attempted to illegally ban the public protest which has been going on since Monday. From Monday through Wednesday, the police behaved respectuflly and helped escort us when we marched towards the mall. Today, they would not let us march. So a delegation of AEC activists went today to the Civic Centre in Cape Town to get a permit but we were prevented by police from entering the Civic Centre.

Pictures Courtesy of Picture the Homeless
http://picturethehomeless.org/blog/southafricaphotovideo

Click here to see some pictures from this protest and here to see video footage of the protest.

http://picturethehomeless.org/blog/southafricarally

Picture the Homeless, the Poverty Initiative, and Domestic Workers United invite you to rally to Support Abahlali basemjondolo, the Shack Dwellers Movement under Attack in Durban, South Africa