Macassar Village Occupiers Protest in Down Town Cape Town, 25 May 2009

Update 5: 2 June 5:02 p.m Mzonke Poni has just been released. He has to return to court on 17 June 2009.

Update 4: 1 June 2009 7:14 p.m. The second arrestee has been released after been subject to considerable police intimidation. Mzonke Poni has been removed from the holding cells at the Macassar Village Police station and taken to hospital. He remains under arrest and will appear in the Somerset West Court tomorrow between 9:00 and 10:00 a.m.

Abahlali baseMjondolo Western Cape - Emergency Press Release
Monday 18th May, 2009 - For Immediate Release

Macassar residents occupying empty land as we speak

As we speak, members of Abhlali baseMjondolo of the Western Cape from Macassar Village are occupying the land that they've been clearing for the past week.

Abahlali are taking the land because, as backyard dwellers, they've been clear victims of high rents which are resulting in their collective eviction. Residents say that they have no choice. In order to protect the livelihood of themselves and their families, they have to take this unused and empty government land for their community.

1 April 2009

ABM WC marching to the offices of City of Cape Town

No Land! No House! No Vote!

Abahlali baseMjondolo of the Western Cape TR branch Site B today on the 1st April will be marching to the Offices of the City of Cape Town Mayor Helen Zille who is having ambitions to become the new premier of the Western Cape after this years national undemocratic elections.

During the week of voters registration (7&8 of February 2009) people of TR had decided to protest against the voters registration station that was put at their areas by IEC claiming that government had undermined the rights of people of TR for years by not improving conditions that people are living under off, TR section is still one of the areas within the City of Cape Town that are still using pure bucket system.

Abahlali baseMjondolo of the Western Cape

No 28 Ramaphosa Street
Site B Khayelitsha
7784

email address: abmwesterncape@abahlali.org www.khayelitshastruggles.com

City of Cape Town

RE: Letter to the Mayor

Dear Madam Mayor

This letter follows the meeting that you have schedule for the 22nd November 2008 with ABM Western Cape 'Khayelitsha' which took place at Site B Community Hall,and the meeting followed the Memorandum which was submitted to you on the 23rd October 2008.

Cape Argus 23 October 2008

Event: AbM Western Cape March
Date: Wednesday 22 October, 2008
Time: 11h00-14h00
Assemble: In between Site-B Day Hospital and Train Station. March to Stocks & Stocks.

It begins. The shackdwellers of Khayelitsha will no longer be spoken about. We will speak for ourselves.

Abahlali baseMjondolo, the shackdweller's movement that has wrecked havoc on the oppressive town planning of the KwaZulu-Natal government, is now a force to be reckoned in the Western Cape.

Statement in solidarity after the Foreman Road fire

Power to the Poor

Even if our whole settlement burns down, the reality is the land on which our community lives will remain our home. A fire, like the devastating one yesterday at Foreman Rd, will not change the way we view our homes. No matter how disadvantaged our communities are, we will not allow individuals who are on power to label our homes as slums because once we allow that they'll will want to eliminate our homes and throw us in unsuitable asbestos filled temporary relocation areas.

These unnecessary fires can be prevented if our government was caring and democratic. But this government is only democratic and caring about issues that matter to their pocket book. Whatever we, as shack-dwellers, say to them does not matter. Only our votes matter so that they can attain more power and enrich themselves further.

Abahlali baseMjondolo Press Statement
Friday August 15, 2008
–
Date: 16th August, 2008 (Saturday)
Time: 14h00 - 16h30
Assembly Point: Mew Way Hall, Lansdowne Road

QQ Section - Tomorrow, the recently formed AbM Western Cape will be hosting a walkabout through Khayeltisha's informal settlements for Cape Town mayoral committee member Dan Plato and other city officials.

After assembling at Mew Way Hall, we will visit over a dozen informal settlements on foot, including QQ, RR, VT, VV, TR, AT, XA, QA, LB, and YA.

This walkabout will provide the residents of these communities with an opportunity to demonstrate directly to city officials the lack of even rudimentary services in their communities. Residents will be able to show officials what they have and what they lack, what they want and how they want it. It will offer our communities a chance to instil the accountability lacking in the process of upgrading informal settlements.