Road blockades are not violence. Physically harming human beings is violence. Can someone please volunteer to post TAC and the Cape Times a dictionary…

http://www.capetimes.co.za/index.php?fArticleId=5686464

‘Pain of broken promises makes us resort to violence’

October 14, 2010 Edition 1

LUVUYO MJEKULA

KHAYELITSHA residents living in unserviced shacks say pain caused by empty promises is what leads then to protest violently, burn buses, blockade roads and trash streets.

They were responding yesterday to criticism of their protests by the Social Justice Coalition, Equal Education, the Western Cape region of Cosatu and the Treatment Action Campaign. The organisations described the squatters’ actions as “immature, ignorant and a show of contempt for communities”.

They said violence was not the way to address problems.

Nosamkelo Moyikwa, 33, said: “We want houses – there are no services in our shacks. There is no electricity and we don’t have toilets.”

Threatening more violent protests, a resident shouted: “Even (Cosatu secretary-general Zwelinzima) Vavi says there is no other solution than dolo phezulu (knees up).”

At least two buses were damaged and roads, including Lansdowne Road, were closed several times over more than a week as the residents heeded Abahlali baseMjondolo’s call for a week of protests against poor services.

Abahlali yesterday lashed back at TAC for publicly attacking the campaign that fights for the rights of the homeless, without first approaching it.

“We have called for an informal settlements strike in Cape Town and we have welcomed the blockading of roads. All means of engaging the government had been explored over many years, but were ignored,” Abahlali said. “We came to this decision after years of being ignored and repressed.”

Meanwhile, anger and frustration was written on the faces of the squatters when the Cape Times visited BT Section yesterday.

“We are so sick and tired, we are not giving anyone our votes,” said Liziwe Malashe, 48.

She said violent protests were the only way to get the government’s attention, considering they were made many empty promises.

The residents said meeting government officials in community halls did not solve their problems.

They had lived in the area since 1994 and said the City of Cape Town and the Housing Department had promised to move them to another piece of land where they would be given proper houses and services by July.

Instead, they were told by “uncaring” government officials that they were not even on the city’s maps.

Because she had no electricity in her house, Moyikwa had to use R150 of her children’s grant to rent electricity from a nearby house.

A nearby bush they had used to relieve themselves because they have no toilets has been fenced.

luvuyo.mjekula@inl.co.za