Here are three comments on the government's "Prevention of Illegal Eviction from and Unlawful Occupation of Land" Amendment bill. Shortened to PIE, the bill seems to be a manifesto for landowners, and a kick in the teeth for shackdwellers. These comments are by Stuart Wilson, of the Centre for Applied Legal Studies at Wits University here, Jean du Plessis of the Centre on Housing Rights and Evictions, here, Koni Benson of the International Labour Research and Information Group (ILRIG) (here) and Marie Huchzermeyer of the University of the Witwatersrand (here).
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A PIE in the Face - Comments on the Government's New Eviction Legislation
Submitted by abahlali on Wed, 2007-02-14 18:39. CALS | Centre for Applied Legal Studies | Centre on Housing Rights and Evictions | COHRE | comment | government | ILRIG | Jean du Plessis | Koni Benson | law | legal | Marie Huchzermeyer | PIE | Stuart Wilson | WitsThe March on Mlaba
Submitted by Abahlali_3 on Sun, 2007-09-30 15:21. comment | Fillipo MondiniLast Friday the institutions, especially Major Mlaba and the police, have again attempted to vandalize the humanity of the poor.
The violence shown by the police is just one example of what happens when poor people speak for themselves.
Again the municipality of Durban has put the interests of business in front of the rights of the poor, the shack dwellers. Mlaba, although he had received news of the march almost one month earlier, did not bother to come and receive the memorandum. Surely, it would have been embarrassing to look straight in the eyes of people who have been living for more than ten years in a shack. It would have been embarrassing to listen at their voices. Nevertheless, it is not a surprise…people in power are not used to this kind of politics. They are used to other kind of democracy, not the one developed in Abahlali.
