Category Archives: Themba Mtshali

Daily News: Shack dwellers march stopped

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This headline is misleading in that although the police unlawfully banned the march, and although there was considerable intimidation beforehand, led by the ward councillor and the chairperson of the local ANC BEC, and although the ANC organised an intimidatory counter protest outside the councillor’s office, and the although the police were not at all neutral in how they related to the two groups, the march still went ahead. There was never any intention to enter the councillor’s office.

http://www.iol.co.za/news/crime-courts/shack-dwellers-march-stopped-1.1438403#.UMayM-R1-RY

Shack dwellers march stopped

Sihle Mlambo

Durban – A large group from the shack-dwellers movement, Abahlali baseMjondolo, were prevented by police from entering the Reservoir Hills premises of a ward councillor to deliver a memorandum of demands.

Abahlali staged a march on Friday to signal their unhappiness with the councillor of Ward 23, Themba Mtshali, who they said was corrupt and not fulfilling his role adequately.

The memorandum accused Mtshali of failing to deliver basic services including water and electricity, sanitation, roads, refuse collection and housing.

It was received and signed for by Mandla Msomi from the premier’s office. He told the crowd he would relay the complaints to the premier.

Mtshali said he had to attend a council meeting on the same day.

He said yesterday that he had been informed that most of the marchers were not residents of his ward.

Mtshali said mobile toilets were being provided for the area and more were planned for other areas.

Electricity had been installed in one of the 17 informal settlements in the ward and two housing projects, which would benefit four settlements were on the table, he said.

There was a strong presence of metro police and SAPS in the area.

Police spokesman Captain Thulani Zwane said the march was authorised by the city manager, S’bu Sithole.

He said the Aquarius Building was private property and no authority to enter the premises was granted, “hence the marchers were dealt with outside the premises”.

The marchers dispersed peacefully, Zwane said. – Daily News

ANC Intimidation in Clare Estate this Morning

7 December 2012
Abahlali baseMjondolo Press Statement

March Gets Underway Despite ANC Intimidation in Clare Estate this Morning

From early this morning Ward 23 councillor Themba Mtshali went from shack settlement to shack settlement in Ward 23 intimidating people and warning them not to participate in today's march – which was been unlawfully banned by the local SAPS. Mtshali was accompanied by his BEC and his (always armed) bodyguards.

There was also a large police presence in the area. The police were heavily armed and had two water cannons. In light of the fact that it was the police that unlawfully banned the march and their history of violence against our movement – and their support of violence against us from the ruling party – their presence there may also have been a form of intimidation. We know that their work is often to protect the politicians – not the people or what's left of our democracy. However the marchers were able to assemble and to begin the march. The police did not try to disperse them so it seems that they have backed down from their ban in face of the pressure. There is also a strong media presence. However ANC supporters have massed at the councillor's offices and are saying that they will block us from delivering our memorandum.

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Threats of Violence Against Tomorrow’s March

6 December 2012
Abahlali baseMjondolo Press Statement

Threats of Violence Against Tomorrow's March

Our movement often gets reliable information from within the ANC and government structures from people that are sympathetic to our movement and our struggle. Today we have been informed by a number of highly credible sources that the Ward 23 Councillor, Themba Mtshali, and the chairperson of the local BEC of the ANC, have been mobilising people to disrupt our march tomorrow. We have been told that they aim to prevent the march from going ahead and to use their own violence to justify the illegal ban on our march.

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Memorandum of Demands to the Premier of the Province of KwaZulu-Natal Dr. Zweli Mkhize and Cllr Themba Mtshali

Memorandum of Demands to the Premier of the Province of KwaZulu-Natal Dr. Zweli Mkhize and Cllr Themba Mtshali – Delivered by a March on the Offices of Themba Mtshali on Friday, 7 December 2012

We, the residents, men and women, of Ward 23 and members of the Abahlali baseMjondolo Movement SA in KwaZulu-Natal are democrats committed to the flourishing of this country. We speak for ourselves and direct our own struggle. We have been mobilized by our own suffering and our hope for a better future.

It is time to take seriously the fact that land is a serious problem in our country. It is time to take seriously that land was stolen from our ancestors and that this has impoverished us. It is time to take seriously that housing development in this city is a corrupt mess that does not just leave us without houses or services but has also terrorized our communities.

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SAPS Attempt to Illegally Ban Protest in Durban

Abahlali baseMjondolo Press Statement
5 December 2012

SAPS Attempt to Illegally Ban Protest in Durban

The Abahlali baseMjondolo branch in the Palmiet Road shack settlement in Clare Estate, Durban, has decided to march on the Ward 23 councillor, Themba Mtshali. They have been supported in this decision by all other Abahlali baseMjondolo branches in the ward.

Mtshali is one of the shack dwellers who became a councillor in the last local government elections as part of the ANC's strategy of trying to contain our movement – a strategy that has included serious repression and intimidation, attempts at co-option, channelling our victories through ANC structures and bringing non-AbM shack dwellers into positions of leadership in the local party structures. However like all other councillors Mtshali is remoted from above and is only an instrument for implementing top down decisions by the party and municipal structures. He does not engage people democratically. In fact it is impossible to even arrange a meeting with him. He has failed the people of Ward 23 and in particular he has failed the poor of Ward 23. Even though he was poor himself a few years ago he is now a councillor and so, as with all councillors, we are not worthy of respect in his eyes because we are poor.

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