http://www.witness.co.za/index.php?showcontent&global[_id]=17064

All deserve to have electricity
09 Dec 2008
Mark Butler

In reply to the feature article in The Witness of November 24, “Double standards” by Paddy Hartdegen, the author makes two claims, both equally wrong.

Firstly, the author claims, on the basis of little more than guesswork, that Eskom’s shortages would be resolved “in the blink of an eye” if the state prevented shack dwellers from connecting to basic service supplies. The author provides us with no evidence to support this claim. Indeed, it is a reductio ad absurdum. This country effectively subsidises the cost of electricity to big industrial users (supplying the cheapest electricity in the world) while excluding shack dwellers from the grid. Excluded from safe and affordable energy, poor households self-connect so that they can eat warm food and see a little in the dark — that's hardly criminal. Even for those of us with little technical or scientific expertise, it should be clear that rational and humane solutions to the problems and complexities of national service provision are not through simply policing the poorest off the electricity grid.

Concept note: Willing seller – Willing buyer
Draft 1
June 2006

In the context of South Africa's failing land reform programme, the Willing seller – Willing buyer policy was problematic, and remains so1. It was/is one representation of how post-apartheid state policy structured and expressed power relations – in favour of market stability and capitalist relations over deep structural transformation in an overarching way; and specifically of (largely white) existing land owners over the rightful expectations the poor majority.

It is also important to recognise how it helped structure the poor too – in the name of a 'demand-led' policy approach, claimants had to identify and constitute themselves as some sort of entrepreneurial, legalistic and conforming unit entirely dependent on plodding through the bureaucratic processes decreed by the state systems.

A militarised state is no answer to xenophobia

The full version, with footnotes, is available here and attached below in a word file.

President Thabo Mbeki has deployed the army to help police in dealing with the violence against people born in other countries. Manala Manzini, director-general of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), said at a conference in Cape Town, "We believe that as SA prepares for another national election early next year, the so-called black-on-black violence that was witnessed prior to our first election in 1994 has deliberately been unleashed and orchestrated."

Abahlali baseMjondolo, Abahlalism, Church

Notes after an Abahlali baseMjondolo meeting with church leaders, at Kennedy Road, 9 October 2007.

Preliminaries

This is a first draft. It seems very important to try and write down some of what is emerging – but somehow the writing seems very inadequate to capture the subtlety and wisdom of the encounter. I hope others who were there will take some time to add and correct this account. (It is not an attempt to write everything that was said.) I hope also that doing so feeds the movement - and perhaps helps church to be church.

A large and disciplined crowd of AbM, who had marched and assembled, were violently attacked by the police yesterday while waiting for the Mayor to receive their Memorandum. The attack, including water cannon, rubber bullets, stun grenades, and armed rampaging by 'public order' police, was unleashed on to an entirely peaceful gathering by the SAPS. There was no justification for the attack nor was there any warning that an attack was imminent or any or request to disperse before the attack.

The people were highly disciplined, and were well within the terms of the written permission that had been granted for the march. Indubitably, they were angry at the insulting attitude of the Mayor who, despite regular communication with his PA during the 30 days notice which he was given to come and receive the Memorandum, had nonetheless refused to come. But anger is hardly a crime and there was absolutely no justification for violence against the people. The police violence was clearly unprovoked and criminal.

Click here to download this report in pdf.

Lessons from eThekwini: Pariahs Hold Their Ground Against a State that is Both Criminal and Democratic

Richard Pithouse & Mark Butler
March, 2007

When the evictions happened…The South African law and the constitution didn’t work for us. They were pointing guns at us, threatening us, meantime we were fighting for our rights [as guaranteed in the law]. One comrade came asking them ‘What about section 26?’ but they didn’t say anything…When our chairperson came to ask ‘By what right and by what law can you this?’ Teargas just got thrown in his face.

Notes from the first meeting of the churches sub-committee of Abahlali baseMjondolo

Held at Kennedy Road Community Hall on 6 November 2006.
Present: M’du Hlongwa (Lacey Road), Sihle Sibisi (Joe Slovo), Mnikelo Ndabankulu (Foreman Road), Alson Mkhize (Motala Heights), Bhekuyise Ngcobo (Motala Heights), System Cele (Kennedy Road), Philani Manzi (Foreman Road), Vuyi Mvula (Jadhu Place), Nkosi Dladla (Jadu Place), M’du Ngqulunga (Kennedy Road), Mbongeni Madlala (Juba Place) , David Ntseng (Church Land Programme), Mark Butler (‘Maritzburg).

Background

The question has come up as to how Abahlali baseMjondolo (AbM) should or could relate to the churches. So far, AbM has sometimes approached churches, and more and more, AbM is being approached by church people and church-based organisations. But the churches are complex, and they might have their own, different agendas and possibilities in relation to AbM's struggle. So, after various discussions within AbM, the sub-committee was established at a general meeting held on Saturday 4 November, and it met for the first time on the 6 November 2006.