Police illegally destroy homes on Symphony Way

Delft Anti-Eviction Campaign Press Statement
Saturday 4 October, 2008 – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Yesterday afternoon, the Symphony Way community was once again invaded by about 15 police officers from the city's notorious Land Invasions Unit. This time, they attempted to illegally destroy a resident's home without a court order and without the permission of the City.

Under the direction of Loot Petersen, the Unit proceeded to destroy residents home. Even though it is clearly illegal to evict anyone without a court order, the Land Invasions Unit does this all over South Africa on a regular basis. Still, the people committing these illegal acts are never charged.

*September 9, 2008
Gugulethu AEC Press Statement - For Immediate Release
*

CAPE TOWN - The Gugulethu Anti-Eviction Campaign marched on Helen
Zille's office at noon today.

We are angered that backyard dwellers in Gugulethu continue to live in
overcrowded, inhumane conditions. Despite the fact that we have carried out
an exhaustive audit of Gugulethu backyard residents who have been on the
waiting list for housing for more than 20 years, we have yet to be offered
housing.

We live in backyards, with up to 8 families in one backyard. We always get
flooded out every time it rains but the city and province do not provide us

http://antieviction.org.za/2008/07/14/w-capes-housing-crisis-hits-the-big-screen/#more-525

W Cape’s housing crisis hits the big screen
14 07 2008
by Francis Hweshe
July 14 2008 at 05:14PM
Source: Argus

The critical housing question in the province hit the big screen with politicians, activists and beneficiaries heading to the movie house to catch a provocative production focused on the housing crisis in the Western Cape.

Independent Democrats leader Patricia de Lille, Housing MEC Richard Dyantyi, mayoral committee member for housing Dan Plato and Ashraf Cassiem of the Anti-Eviction Campaign, among others, were part of the audience who watched Shamila’s House on Saturday afternoon.

Delft-Symphony Anti-Eviction Campaign Press Statement
May 12, 2008

Tomorrow (the 13th of May, 2008), all 300 families of the Delft-Symphony Anti-Eviction Campaign will be going tomorrow to the Cape Town Civic Centre. The pavement dwellers will be coming to Town with the purpose of personally delivering handwritten letters indicating our wishes to Mayor Helen Zille.

We are upset because our opinions and needs are being ignored by the city. The letters will, amongst other things, demand a change in the way the city treats its poor. We demand to be treated as citizens of this country and to be respected as equal human beings by city officials.

Western Cape Anti-Eviction Campaign
23 October 2007

Anti-Eviction Campaign Press Release: Joe Slovo arrests, Hanover Park eviction, District Six high court eviction case tomorrow

JOE SLOVO INFORMAL SETTLEMENT - Joe Slovo Task Team leader, Mzwanele Zulu, and one other activist were arrested recently by the police. They were released shortly after with no charges being laid against them. It is clear that the police and the state are waging a campaign of harassment against Task Team leaders who are part of the mass community movement demanding free housing on the land of Joe Slovo, and an end to forced removals. It is unclear why Zulu and the other activist were even arrested in the first place. The Anti-Eviction Campaign demands that the harassment of Joe Slovo activists come to an end. The Campaign held another meeting at Joe Slovo on the weekend and resolved to increase the level of solidarity for the community. For comment call Mzwanele Zulu on 076 3852369

Monday 18th June 2006
2pm

About nine families at Conifer Court, Sea Point, will be defending an application to evict them in the Cape Town Magistrate's Court this Wednesday 20th June 2007.

The residents are all originally from the rural areas. They have been staying in Conifers Court for 15 to 20 years. They do not have other families in the city who could take them in if they were evicted.

The residents are objecting to the eviction on the basis that they do not have alternative accommodation, their children attend schools in Sea Point, and they are viewing the attempted eviction as another form of forced removal disguised as 2010 gentrification.

Following this article in the M&G the following letter was sent to the Mail and Guardian but, despite their publishing three letters attacking Abahlali baseMjondolo in a specially dedicated extension of the letters page, it was not published. (Scroll down to read What Happened at or to the SMI)

Letter from the Western Cape Anti-Eviction Campaign to the Mail and Guardian

The Western Cape Anti Eviction Campaign (WCAEC) was, together with the Anti-Privatisation Forum, Jubilee South Africa and the Landless People’s Movement, a founder of the Social Movement Indaba (SMI) in 2002. That is why it is incorrect for your reporter Niren Tolsi (“On the far side of left”, December 8-14) to echo the claim of SMI secretariat member Mondi Hlatshwayo that the WCAEC “invaded” the December 2006 SMI in Durban. The SMI was set up as a platform for social movements and we regarded its space as our space. Yet some SMI ‘leaders’ attempted to deny us and Abahlali baseMjondolo access to the meeting!