PRESS RELEASE

Communities March to Minister of Housing tomorrow – 27 SEPTEMBER 2007

In the past months the squatter communities of Protea South (Soweto), Kliptown (Soweto), Thembelihle (Lenasia South), and Thembisa (Kempton Park) have undertaken protest action to raise their demands for the following basic services:

HOUSING!

LAND!

WATER & ELECTRICITY!

AN END TO FORCED REMOVALS!

AN END TO POLICE BRUTALITY AGAINST THE POOR (rubber bullets, arbitrary detentions of community leaders, and assaults).

The local councillors have not heard us; the premier of Gauteng has not heard us; now we are taking the struggle to the national Minister of Housing.

Hundreds of residents of the Thembelihle informal settlement, south of Johannesburg, barricaded the busy K43 road yesterday, demanding better living conditions.

The angry protesters blockaded the road using burning tyres, tree trunks and stones, bringing rush-hour traffic to a standstill.

Motorists were forced to use alternative routes after the K43 road was closed.

The protesters were demanding houses, electricity and improved sanitation in their poverty-stricken area.

They accused their ward councillor, Dan Bovu, of ignoring and neglecting their demands.

Things turned ugly yesterday morning when police fired rubber bullets and stungrenades in an attempt to disperse the crowd.