Abahlali baseMjondolo Slum Dwellers Movement — One Year Later

http://www.otabenga.org/node/216

September 27, 2010

Dear Mondli Mbiko, Coordinator, Kennedy Road Development Committee in
Exile
Dear Mzwake Mdlalose, Chairperson of the Kennedy Road Development
Committee in Exile and Deputy President of AbahlalibaseMjondolo
Dear Bandile Mdlalose AbahlalibaseMjondolo Secretary General,
Dear Maikelo Ndabankulu, AbahlalibaseMjondolo Spokesperson

Dear Sisters and Brothers,

We have just read your report on One Year After the Attacks on the KRDC.
You all deserve many thanks and many congratulations. Most of all for having
survived attacks which, clearly, were meant to wipe you off the physical
and political map. On both grounds, your report provides ample evidence.
Thank you so much for describing in detail what happened and how you
organized your resistance. Your physical and political survival make us proud
to be in solidarity with you. For making us proud we must thank you too.

You make us proud because, through the report you have given us all invaluable
lessons not just in politics, but also in the little things of everyday life which, even
the ANC used to know how to do, but, somehow, seems to have forgotten. Your
report teaches us lessons of empathy with those who suffer, solidarity with the
weakest. Your report reminds us of so many other lessons taught by so many
people who, like you, are resisting dehumanizing treatment in other parts of
the planet. Truly you are showing how to reclaim the commons, history, Africa,
humanity. That is, for us, in these times, when humanity is facing challenges it
never faced before, your greatest lesson.

You make us proud because, through your non violent actions and reactions, you
are showing the superiority of your approach to politics, an approach to politics
which says that everyone counts, especially the poorest of the poorest, especially
the weakest of the weakest. Your report shows how solidarity works, what it
means for leaders to be at the service of people, with humility.

However, we would like to share a word of caution. Our common history tells
us that every time the weakest and the poorest have managed to win a battle,
those who have lost will come back with withering vengeance. Just look at
what the people of Haiti and Palestine are enduring, on a daily basis, simply
for having done what they were not expected to achieve. And so, the more
you are successful at what you are doing, i.e. showing those who claim to know
better that they have lost touch with the people, the harder they will come
back at you. They shall resort to multi faceted violence. They cannot bear the
idea that you, of all people, who are not supposed to know politics better than
they do, can possibly be their mentors. Even though your behavior is full of
humility, they feel humiliated. Humiliated arrogance may, at times, depending
on circumstances, explode with atomic force.

You all seem to have a great gift: giving the greatest of lessons on democracy,
justice, dignity, solidarity, without appearing to do so. With humility, dignity
and respect, without calling them names, or insulting them, you are asking the
government officials to listen to you.

Again congratulations and many thanks for being who you are, for helping us
learn how to reclaim humanity, history, Africa, the commons.

Jacques Depelchin