Evictions in Madlala Village the Day after they were in the Constitutional Court

13 February 2014

Abahlali baseMjondolo Press Statement

Evictions in Madlala Village the Day after they were in the Constitutional Court

Yesterday we went to the Constitutional Court to support the Madlala Village community in Lamontville. We were there to oppose an unjust and unlawful eviction order which was granted to the MEC for Human Settlements Ravi Pillay and which the eThekwini Municipality was misusing to claim that it could evict anyone, anywhere despite the protections given to shack dwellers by the Constitution and the PIE Act.

It was very sad for us to hear the lawyers for the MEC telling the court that the order is not to evict residents but to stop new land occupations. The reality is that outside the court they are continuing to evict and are misusing this order to claim that their evictions are lawful.

Today the Municipality gathered at Madlala Village to demolish residents’ homes using the same court order. They were not prepared to wait for the judgement of the Constitutional Court. It is clear that the wanted to punish the Madlala Village community for taking them to the Constitutional Court. We all remember how the Kennedy Road community was punished in 2009 for taking the previous MEC to the Constitutional Court. This attack on Madlala Village is not just disrespecting the residents but it is also disrespecting the Constitution of South Africa and the court.

We urge the media to rush to Madlala Village as the municipality is demolishing.

For more information please call:

Bandile Mdlalose – Abahlali basemjondolo General Secretary : 084 557 5090

Mrs Ndodana – Madlala Village: 083 974 1223

Thinabantu Khanyile – Abahlali baseMjondolo Office: 031 304 642