APF outraged over Western Cape Court sentencing of leading activists to
one year in prison
ANTI PRIVATISATION FORUM
7 July 2008
APF outraged over Western Cape Court sentencing of leading activists to
one year in prison
The Anti Eviction Campaign is under attack in the Western Cape. Magistrate
Van Graan sentenced two leading members of the Delft-Symphony Way
settlement, Jerome Daniels and Ridwaan Isaacs, to a year in prison. The Anti
Privatisation Forum cannot doubt the report from the AEC that the magistrate
made a politically motivated judgement in wanting to teach the AEC a lesson.
He was not shy in his conduct and his judgement to emphasise the ties of the
defendants to the organisation. Being a member of an organisation of the
poor is incriminating enough for these hawks.
The crimimalisation of the poor is neither new nor restricted to the Western
Cape. To be poor in south Africa today is to be at odds with the law.
Matthews Ndlhovu was imprisoned for malicious damage to private property for
removing a prepaid water meter in Phiri, Soweto in 2004 which device was
declared unlawful in 2007. This year Community activists have been facing
down police beatings in Sebokeng, and death in detention in the killing of
gone on door-to-door
for ‘troublemakers’ in Boiketlong.
The APF shares the AEC’s outrage at the judgement against the AEC. Jerome
Daniels and Ridwaan Isaacs were living in tents on the pavement outside the
houses they had a right to be occupying. Their guilt in this case is to be
struggling for the community’s right to housing. The courts have
demonstrated that they are not just institutions as much as ready weapons.
The judgement against the AEC – because it is not against comrades Jerome
and Ridwaan – must be overturned. From their houses, to the streets and now
to the prisons, the state is trying to break the resolve of poor communities
to struggle. There is no need to say it when the numbers of the poor are
growing, that their struggle is our struggle and it will continue.
—
Anti Privatisation Forum
123 Pritchard Street (cnr Mooi)
6th floor Vogas House, Johannesburg
Tel: (011) 333-8334 Fax: (011) 333-8365