MEDIA STATEMENT
Issued by: Abahlali baseMjondolo and Socio-Economic Rights Institute of SA (SERI)
19 September 2012

VICTORY FOR FORGOTTEN SHACK DWELLERS

High Court orders eThekwini Mayor, City Manager and Director of Housing responsible for ensuring compliance with court order to provide houses to evicted Siyanda occupiers

Today the Durban High Court handed down a ground-breaking judgment in Mchunu and Others v Executive Mayor of eThekwini and others, following a hearing held on 17 September 2012. The decision, given by Acting Judge Nigel Hollis, requires the Mayor of eThekwini, the City Manager and the Director of Housing to take all the necessary steps, within three months, to provide permanent housing to 37 poor families living in a transit camp near KwaMashu, Durban. If they do not, they may be fined or imprisoned.

18 September 2012
Abahlali press statement

Abahlali baseSiyanda vs eThekwini Municipality

The failure of the eThekwini municipality to comply with an order of the court that compels it to house the residents of Siyanda who have been left to rot in the Richmond Farm transit camp has clearly indicated that the City is law unto itself.

Yesterday the Court heard both the sides of Abahlali and eThekwini and held the judgment. The judge said it was going to handed down in few days. We have just received a call from our legal team saying that tomorrow, Wednesday, 19 September 2012 at 9am the judgment will be handed down at the Durban High Court.

16 September 2012
Abahlali baseMjondolo Press Statement

Abahlali baseRichmond Farm are taking the eThekwini Municipality to Court

In 2009 Siyanda residents near KwaMashu were evicted by the Dept. of Transport and relocated from their shacks into Transit camps so they could build the road which is known as Dumisani Makhaye (R577). The residents contested the eviction in the streets and in the courts but an eviction order was granted by the Durban High Court and the residents were evicted and relocated on 17 March 2009. However the court order that was given stated that all basic services should be provided in the transit camps and that the residents should all be moved to formal houses within 12 months. Water, electricity and sanitation were not provided and the residents are still rotting in the transit camp. The municipality has simply ignored the court order. Moreover for the past 3 years their children have suffered the pain of walking a long distance to their schools because of the relocation.

Abahlali baseMjondolo (AbM) and Socio-Economic Rights Institute of South Africa (SERI)

PRESS RELEASE – 29 February 2012

eThekwini Municipality Disobeys Court Order to Provide Housing and Investigate Corruption

Residents go back to court to compel Mayor, City Manager and Director of Housing to provide houses or be held in contempt

In 2009, 37 poor families won the right to receive permanent houses in terms of an order issued by the Durban High Court. The families must now return to court to force the eThekwini Municipality to obey the order. The Socio-Economic Rights Institute of South Africa (SERI) and Abahlali baseMjondolo (ABM) are suing the Mayor of eThekwini on behalf the families, who now live in the Richmond Farm Transit Camp near KwaMashu, Durban.

EVICTIONS IN SOUTH AFRICA - (DEAR MANDELA companion video) from Sleeping Giant on Vimeo.

http://dearmandela.com/?q=node/76

Short Film: A FISH IN A TIN
February 28, 2012 - 10:26pm

LAWYERS PUSH FOR EVICTED RESIDENTS' RIGHTS TO BE RESPECTED

In 2009, we filmed with a community who had recently been evicted from the Siyanda informal settlement in order to allow for the construction of a road. One of the conditions of the eviction order was that the occupiers would be provided with permanent housing within a year. The deadline for doing so expired almost two years ago and nothing has been done to comply with the order.

27 November 2011
Abahlali baseMjondolo Press Statement

Occupy Hillary 28 November 2011

We are human beings, not dogs, and every human being has a right to a decent home and a right, if they choose, to a place in the city. Economic, political and legal systems that deny these rights are a threat to our humanity and must be resisted. There is enough money and space in this world for every person to have a decent home. The problem is that the money and space are being held by the few to exclude the many. If the few continue to exclude the many then it is our responsibility to ourselves, our families and our communities to resist this oppression.

Abahlali baseMjondolo Press Statement
Wednesday, 25 May 2011

Evictions and Intimidation Continue in Many Shack Settlements after the Local Government Elections

On the day after the election, 19 May 2011, the eThekwini Municipality’s Land Invasion Unit arrived in our settlements. Mr Mdletshe from the Land Invasion Unit arrived with his team to demolish shacks in Arnett Drive, Reservoir Hills. When talking to residents there Mdletshe was very rude and violent to Abahlali. He pointed at Sam Jaca and threatened him saying he is the one that took him to the High Court. Mdletshe's team them demolished two shacks leaving the families homeless. They had no court order and were acting without any respect for the law, the court, the community or the families that they left homeless.

Abahlali baseMjondolo Press Statement
29 October 2009

Invitation to the Celebration of the Abahlali baseMjondolo Victory Against the Notorious and Now Buried Slums Act

On 14 October 2009 the Constitutional Court ruled against the KwaZulu-Natal provincial government and in favour of Abahlali baseMjondolo. The court found that Section 16 of the Slums Act was unconstitutional and invalid. The Slums Act now has been struck down.

Abahlali baseMjondolo will be holding a celebration of our victory against the Slums Act this Sunday, 1 November, at 9am. The celebration will take place the Richmond Farm Transit Camp. All progressive communities, journalists and members of the public are welcome.