10 July 2010
Via cellphone text message

Another Death in Kennedy Road*

The death toll continues to rise in Kennedy.

Today at midday two more people became victims to the violence in the settlement during an argument over building site disputes and the unfair distribution of rebuilding materials in the wake of the fire. The fight between the two left one person dead. The KRDC, in exile, condemns and mourns the killing of a fellow victim by other victim. There is a clear absence of responsible, inclusive and democratic leadership in the settlement. This killing is a result of the failure of the ANC leadership that was imposed on the settlement by Willies Mchunu and Nigel Gumede after the violent expulsion of the KRDC. After the fire, and the deep political corruption in the rebuilding process, most community members can tell who is fooling who.

When is the unnecessary bloodshed and killing of the poor by the poor going to stop? When will the residents of the settlement be able to, once again, rule themselves for themselves? When will the settlement, again, be run on the understanding that everyone, independent of political affiliation or origin, has the same rights? When will the poor be able to unite from below against attempts to weaken us from above by dividing us from above? Until full political freedom is restored to the Kennedy Road settlement these question will remain unanswered and division, violence and counter-violence will continue.

Peace to the shacks, struggle against the power of the rich.

For more information contact:

Nozuko Hulushe (from the internal Kennedy Road AbM Branch): 082 259 5492
Mzwake Mdlalose (from the exiled KRDC): 072 132 8458

*The first version of this statement incorrectly said that two people had been killed. It has now been corrected.