BLIKKIESDORP COMMUNITY- DELFT (SYMPHONYWAY TRA)
DATE: 2ND November 2009

To: The Mayor – Dan Plato

From: Blikkiesdorp Anti- Eviction Campaign (Western Cape)

Subject: Installation of Electricity

It has become common knowledge that the government and politicians ignore the poor. Members of the Blikkiesdorp community have been trying to set up a meeting with Mayor Dan Plato for several weeks now regarding the installation of electricity in the area

Our first contact with Dan Plato occurred in May 2009. As has become customary for politicians, he arrived in our area with scores of bodyguards and great words of promise about how he was going to role out electricity in Blikkiesdorp Phase 1 and 2 by August 2009. As has also become customary with politicians, these words were a lie. Today, we are still standing without any electricity. In the mean time three shacks in Blikkiesdorp have burnt down because people have to continue to use paraffin for cooking. During these fires, sadly two people were injured. Added to this, at a public meeting, one community member also recounted how she is incurring serious health problems as she can’t refrigerate her insulin, which she needs to control her diabetes. So we continue to suffer.

http://www.witness.co.za/index.php?showcontent&global[_id]=30091

Kennedy Road: sharing the facts
29 Oct 2009

WITH reference to last week’s article by Willies Mchunu, (The Witness,
October 20).

MEC Mchunu makes several statements, to which we feel it is necessary to
respond. The first relates to the claim that his invitation to
stakeholders, dated October 8, received no response from churches. On
October 14, a letter was addressed to the MEC, and copied to the
provincial premier, Zweli Mkhize, and President Jacob Zuma, and was

http://www.businessday.co.za/articles/Content.aspx?id=8343

Worrying utterances

Crispin Hemson
Published: 2009/10/08 06:25:32 AM
The Kennedy Road issue in Durban has serious implications for the way SA
handles its informal settlements (Kennedy Road truth being hidden,
October 7).

I attended the stakeholders’ meeting called by the provincial
government. The tone of MEC Willies Mchunu’s address was very different
from that of earlier statements, to his credit. However, there were some

http://www.capeargus.co.za/index.php?fArticleId=5037783

Ruling brings relief to too few shack dwellers

June 16, 2009 Edition 1

Your editorial ("A mixed outcome", June 11) claims the Constitutional Court's decision on the eviction of the residents of Joe Slovo informal settlement to make way for N2 Gateway homes included the provision that "70 percent of the shack dwellers who were recorded as being resident there in 2000, and qualified for this housing, should be returned to the area once new homes have been built."

http://www.pambazuka.org/en/category/letters/54719

Letters
If you don't vote, you can complain
Open letter to South Africa’s Independent Electoral Commission (IEC)
Rosa Blaauw and Jared Sacks (2009-03-11)

Re: Misinformation on IEC TV ads for voter registration including the ad ‘if you don't vote, you can't complain’

Dear Chairperson Dr Brigalia Bam,

A recent television ad for the campaign for voter registration by the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) has a line which implies that non-voting South African citizens have no power to bring about change in this country. ‘If you don't vote, you can't complain’ shows the short-sightedness and arrogance of the current political system, which attempts to convince South Africans that voting is the most effective and only way to bring about change in this country.

Open letter to the President of South Africa

Tena koe Thabo Mbeki,

I understand a nomination has been put forward for me to receive a South African honour later this year, the Companions of O R Tambo Award, on behalf of HART and the anti-apartheid movement of New Zealand for our work campaigning to end apartheid in South Africa.

I note the particular honour is conferred by the President of South Africa and awarded to “foreign citizens who have promoted South African interests and aspirations through co-operation, solidarity and support”.

We are proud of the role played by the movement here to assist the struggle against apartheid and I appreciate the sentiment behind the nomination. However after the most careful consideration I respectfully request the nomination proceed no further. Were an award to be made I would decline to accept it either personally or on behalf of the movement.

The full exchange of letters between COHRE and the city is now available in pdf, from the original letter to Sutcliffe to the city's response to the the reply to that from COHRE.

1 November 2007
International Secretariat
83 Rue deMontbrillant
1202
Geneva
Switzerland

Dr Michael Sutcliffe
eThekwini City Manager

Hi comrade,
I am feeling very excited,depressed and embarrassed
about the incident that happenned in your country.

Its very hurting that some people are depriving the
rights of citzens. What a shame? Tears are running down
my cheeks. Imagine old citzens and pregnant women
failing to enjoy their human rights. My soul is with you
in your struggle.

Our situation is better because violence is still quite
but nothing in the shops. The little that is left is very
expensive that we cannot afford.

We are failing to buy even a bundle of vegtables.
Continue supporting the Mjondolo ;one day God

Dear S'bu Zikode and Dear members of Abalhali baseMjondolo,

I have just read your description of what has happened, and I find it hard to believe. There is no point being long because you have written so eloquently that it would be impossible to do better.

This one thing though. How is this possible in the land of those who gave everything so that such things would not happen again, ever? Am I naive? Where have all those great voices which stood up for the poor, for the non whites? Where are they? Is it possible that there is so much work that they cannot be heard where you were?