Kennedy Road shack settlement burns again leaving over 2000 people homeless

5 June 2014

Abahlali baseMjondolo press statement

Kennedy Road shack settlement burns again leaving over 2000 people homeless

At about 19:15pm last night Kennedy Road shacks were on a huge flame of fire which left at least more than 2000 people without shelter etc. The fire is believed to have been caused by an unattended paraffin stove. It is fortunately that there were no injuries or death reported. Women and children are the most affected by this fire. Many of them lost all their belongings inthis fire including foods, furniture, clothing (including school uniforms), IDs and building material.

We are sad that after years of our struggle this community remains in such difficult and in fact life threatening conditions. In December 2005 former eThekwini Mayor Obed Mlaba made a public promise to house Kennedy Road residents in Cornubia. Cornubia is a biggest new greenfield housing development in the province. Today the same Cornubia has been given to other people and the list was made at night in other settlements. We were later told that you have to be the volunteer of the ruling party in order to benefit.

In December 2009 after the leadership of Abahlali were violently and forceful removed from Kennedy Nigel Gumede Chairperson of eThekwini Human Settlement also made a public promise that in January 2010 he will build houses for the Kennedy Road community but all that has been lies. It is clear that we are serving our life sentence here and are being punished for calling for decent housing for all in the city.

The only solution to this on-going problem off shack fires is decent housing for all. Fires of this nature would have been avoided should eThekwini municipality provides housing. Basic services such as water and sanitation, electricity and removed refusal would have also have helped to prevent fire.

We have long called for resignation of Nigel Gumede who only shows energy when it comes to repressing us. He is still in his office and we are still burning.

This time of the year calls upon all of us shack dwellers to keep a watchful eye on our families. But these incidents are not caused by our ignorance but political leadership who only care about our votes but never about our humanity.

For more information please contact:

Nhlanhlo Maphumulo 072 7404558

Nu Mtshali 061 7711878

Abahlali office on 031 3046420