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OPINION

Eye on civil society

Democracy took a beating in Foreman Road

It was a march in line with the great tradition of peaceful civil disobedience, and posed no threat, writes Richard Pithouse

November 22, 2005

By Richard Pithouse

Democracy took a major beating in Durban last week. The first blow came when the eThekwini Municipality banned a march organised by the Foreman Road Development Committee. The Committee has been elected to represent the Foreman Road shack settlement. Along with 15 other settlements they had affiliated to the Abahlali base Mjondolo [shack dwellers’] movement that had organised previous marches from the Kennedy Road and Quarry Road settlements. Each of these large marches had been entirely peaceful. The Foreman Road march was planned for Monday 14 November. The Committee completed all the paper work necessary to apply for a permit to stage a legal march in good time. But three days before the scheduled march a terse fax was received from the Municipality stating that the march was “prohibited”. Two reasons were given for banning the march. The first was that “Officials from the Mayor’s Office have advised us that they have no feedback for your organisation”. The second was that “The Mayor’s Office labour is unable to assist you and there will be no representative there to meet you.” City Manager Mike Sutcliffe is responsible for administering requests to hold legal marches.