We need to defend living politics, because of what living politics defend
Marie Huchzermeyer

Defend Freedom – Democracy under Attack
Briefing and discussion hosted by Church Land Programme. Pietermaritzburg, 6 November

Mine is a perspective from a distance. Nevertheless, I must acknowledge that I feel quite deeply influenced by the ‘University of Abahlali’. And because of what Abahlali has gone through, the learning has intensified for many of us who had the privilege of not being affected in any personal and material way.

I haven’t done much of the actual feeling and tasting (to use Sbu’s words) that Abahlali invites us to do, but I’ve learnt a tremendous amount, and that in itself is worth reflecting on and I’ll get back to that.

Click here to read this essay in word and here to read it in pdf.

Grace, Truth and Development

From the Communist Party across to the corporate spin-doctors and
down to the Development Committees in the shack settlements,
more or less everybody in South Africa speaks the language of
development. In some ways this is a good thing. It indicates a hard
won agreement that the realities of inequality in our society are so

Click here to download the resource pack given to all delegates at this meeting.

Democracy Under Attack - Defend Freedom

Dear colleagues

Church Land Programme invites you to a dialogue on the state of our democracy in the light of recent attacks on Abahlali BaseMjondolo in Kennedy Road, and Abahlali's Constitutional Court victory against the KZN Slums Act. This will be a key opportunity to be updated on latest developments, and explore options for strategic responses. Your participation will be important in shaping strategies for the defence of our democracy.

Concept note: Willing seller – Willing buyer
Draft 1
June 2006

In the context of South Africa's failing land reform programme, the Willing seller – Willing buyer policy was problematic, and remains so1. It was/is one representation of how post-apartheid state policy structured and expressed power relations – in favour of market stability and capitalist relations over deep structural transformation in an overarching way; and specifically of (largely white) existing land owners over the rightful expectations the poor majority.

It is also important to recognise how it helped structure the poor too – in the name of a 'demand-led' policy approach, claimants had to identify and constitute themselves as some sort of entrepreneurial, legalistic and conforming unit entirely dependent on plodding through the bureaucratic processes decreed by the state systems.