All charges were dropped the following day.

ANTI-PRIVATISATION FORUM
Press Alert
Thursday, 21st January: 14:30

APF & EARTHLIFE ACTIVISTS ASSAULTED AND ARRESTED AT NERSA HEARINGS EARLIER TODAY FOR TRYING TO EXERCISE THEIR DEMOCRATIC RIGHTS

This morning, the NERSA public hearing into ESKOM’s application for tariff increases got underway at Gallagher Estate in Midrand. Both Earthlife and the APF were present, having made written submissions and requests for presentations in opposition to ESKOM’s application. Not long after proceedings began, a small group of Earthlife activists silently placed several posters on the walls inside the venue. Almost immediately, Gallagher Estate’s private security personnel arrived and tore down all the posters, whilst forcibly escorting those activists identified as the ‘perpetrators’, outside the venue. They then locked the doors and when a larger group of APF activists arrived, refused them (alongside the Earthlife activists already outside) entry.

Wednesday 13th January 2010

STOP THE EVICTIONS IN ITIRELENG!!

On Monday (11th January) over 1000 families in two sections of the Itireleng shack settlement, situated between Atteridgeville and Laudium in the Tshwane region, were brutally evicted by a combined force of Red Ants and the Tshwane Metro Police. During the eviction, the residents were attacked with batons, rubber bullets and some residents reported that live ammunition was also used. As a result, 49 people were injured, several seriously. All the evicted residents were left without any shelter and the majority have been camping by the side of the road for the last two days.

The support for the APF is very much appreciated but please be aware there are some accidental empirical errors in this statement.

In Defence of Democracy
APF Statement on the Recent Attacks on Abahlali baseMjondolo in Kennedy Road, Durban

The first few months of the Zuma Presidency has not interrupted the war on the poor. What took place last week in Kennedy Road, Durban, is rather signalling that the violence deployed against organisations of the poor is being escalated. A meeting of the Abahlali baseMjondolo (ABM) affiliate, Kennedy Road Development Committee (KRDC), on Sunday September 27th , was attacked by a militia, killing comrades Mthokozisi Ndlovu and Ndumiso Mnguni. The office of Abahlali and fifteen homes belonging to leading members of the movement were demolished before the attack and several of the ABM’s leaders remain in hiding. Over a thousand, mostly Xhosa-speaking residents, were also forced to flee their homes.

“Rise Motsoaledi People Rise”

MOTSOALEDI COMUNITY MASS MEETING
Date: SUNDAY 26th July
Venue: MOTSOALEDI SPORTS FIELDS (emagrawundini)
Time: 4pm

AGENDA:

MARCH TO PRETORIA ON TUESDAY THE 28TH JULY

WE DEMAND ELECTRICITY NOW

SIYAYA EPITORI!!

We the people of Motsoaledi have been long forgotten. Every time the elections come we are promised “the development is coming”. Soon after the elections nothing comes. Our future and lives have been compromised for too long. As a result we are faced with all sorts of problems in our families and community at large.

Press Statement (Sunday 14th June 2009)

APF JOINS LANDLESS PEOPLE’S MOVEMENT FOR JUNE 16TH MARCH IN SOWETO

On Tuesday June 16th , the APF will be joining with the Landless People’s Movement (LPM - Gauteng) under the banner of the Poor People’s Alliance (a collection of radical, community based organisations across South Africa) for a march from Morris Isaacson High School to the Hector Pieterson Museum in Soweto. The march will start from 10h00

The LPM Protea South will hold a night vigil of students/youth and their parents on 15th June at the Peacemakers Ground in Protea South, Soweto.

Justice delayed is justice denied: Kliptown 5 found guilty of Public violence

On the 3rd September 2007 more than twenty comrades were arrested in community protests organized by the Anti Privatisation Forum against the slow or non-delivery of services in Soweto (Kliptown and Protea South). Fourteen comrades were arrested in Protea South though only four of those charged were taken to the Protea Magistrate’s court on the 4th of September 2007 and the others were released after being held captive for more than 24 hours without any charges being laid. In Kliptown, twelve comrades were arrested for public violence including five juveniles (underage, school-going children) and have been appearing in court since September 2007. After more than twenty appearances and almost two years, five were found guilty of public violence yet the community was arrested for demanding housing.

31 March 2008

22 arrests since Monday 24 March

The Alexandra Vukuzenzele Crisis Committee (AVCC) residents have re-occupied houses in Alexandra Extension 7 since the 20th of March after negotiations failed to bear any fruit for the poor people of Alexandra. Twenty of the occupiers were arrested on the following Monday, 24 March, and appeared in court the following day. All defendants were released on free bail. Two comrades of the AVCC were arrested for contempt of court while in Extension 7 this past Friday, 28 March.

The houses that were built in Extension 7 were earmarked for poor residents of the township but bribery and corruption associated with the Alexandra Renewal Project (ARP) has denied them access to the houses that are legitimately theirs. They have been on the housing waiting list since 1996. When the AVCC first occupied the houses in Extension 7 on 3 September last year, sixty people were arrested for trespassing and public violence. The charges were dropped on the 28th of February 2008. Another group of twelve residents were also arrested at the same time last year on the same charges. When they appeared in the Wynberg Magistrate courts on 12 and 19 March 2008 the charges were also dropped.