Pictures by Anna Selmeczi
Tuesday, 26 October 2010
Abahlali baseMjondolo Press Statement
THE RIGHT TO KNOW
Abahlali baseMjondolo will support the Right to Know march in defence of media freedom in Durban tomorrow.
Mostly we have said that our struggle is for land and housing. But sometimes we also say that it is for land and dignity or that it is for land and freedom. Slogans are short and the world is big and time is long. We need all of these things. We need land, housing, dignity and freedom. These things cannot be separated. And dignity and freedom require more than just land and housing. We need electricity, we need libraries, we need good education, we need proper toilets, good and safe transport, crèches, decent work, health care and more.
As a movement we feel like the world is closing around us. There are many threats to our freedom. Poverty and abandonment are a threat to our freedom. What freedom does a person have when they are also busy trying to rebuild their shack after each fire, to rebuild their life after the burying of each innocent child?
Freedom is not only lost in the pain, uncertainty, danger and exhaustion of poverty. It is also taken away deliberately.
Freedom includes the right of every person to participate in all discussions without fear. It includes the right of every person to organise as they wish to organise.
Every time a political party, a ward councillor, a ward committee or a BEC threatens violence to stop open discussions or independent organisation freedom is under attack. Every time that people are driven from their homes because they do not obey a political party freedom is under attack. Every time that people have to show a party card and party loyalty to access what little development is given freedom is under attack. Every time that the police attack a peaceful march and then call it violent freedom is under attack. Every time that our struggles and movements are unfairly shown as if they are short minded, violent and criminal freedom is under attack.
The deliberate attack on freedom in our country started as an attack on the freedom of the poor. We felt it first. Now the attack is spreading to the rest of society.
As a movement we wish to express our full support for the Right to Know march which will take place in Durban tomorrow. We will be proud to march with our good and trusted comrades in organisations like the South Durban Community and Environmental Alliances.
Over the past years the media have been very helpful in telling the truth and revealing the unrevealed. Lots of people have been relying on the media to get help. For those who have been helped by the media for all this time it really does feel like the world is closing even faster now. Most of these people have tried to get help from the politicians and the politicians have failed them.
As an organisation of the poor, by the poor and for the poor we feel oppressed by this situation. We, as Abahlali baseMjondolo, will not relax and do nothing while people feel this kind of unnecessary pressure. Our biggest concern is why must there be things that must be kept secret? We are especially concerned about this because we have always said that there is huge corruption in housing. We have also marched several times sending memorandums to the State President Mr Jacob Zuma, to the Premier and to the Mayor but no response have been given till today. If there are things that must not be told while the poor have raised issues like this the question is what is being hidden from The People if politicians have vowed to work for The People? Who, really, do the politicians think that they are if they are demanding to be protected from The People all the time?
There must be no secrecy. Everything must be told and carefully discussed including the good and the bad. If politicians are not doing good in serving the interest of the people and taking forward the will of the people then they need to be exposed. If politicians are doing good in serving the interest of people and taking forward the will of the people then they should be praised. Why must people expect to be credited and praised while they do not deserve it?
If the media is to be oppressed it is the poor, particularly the shack dwellers, the farm workers and the unemployed who will suffer the most consequences. Because we are the most oppressed in this society we have the most to lose from any attack on freedom. Freedom is our space to know, to organise, to debate and to struggle. Freedom is the space of our safety. Freedom is the space of our hope.
The media deserve the right to write what is true and we as Abahlali baseMjondolo will support them all through and through. There have been many times when the truth of our lives and our struggle has been shown in the media. Many journalists are hard working, honest and brave. There have been times when we have been unfairly attacked in the media. Mistakes have been made, lies have been told. But the solution is not to reduce media freedom. The solution is to protect what media freedom we already have and then to deepen it so that everyone can access the media.
We published a newspaper once. It was called Izwe Labampofu, the voice of the poor. We should have the support to publish Izwe Labampofu every month. All community organisations and movements should get this same support. But right now the only media that we have is under attack and we will defend it in the streets and in the courts and anywhere else where we have to go to defend the space of our hope for a world in which the dignity of everyone is recognised and respected.
We say PHANSI NGABA CINDEZELI PHANSI! PHAMBILI NGOKUBHALWA OKUKHULULEKILE PHAMBILI!
There must be no oppression to the media.
A Luta Continua
For more information please don’t hesitate to call the ff:
Ms Bandile Mdlalose
Abahlali baseMjondolo Movement S.A Secretary General
031 304 6420
074 730 8120
Mr Mnikelo Ndabankulu
Abahlali baseMjondolo Movement S.A Public Liaison Officer
079 745 0653
Ms Zodwa Nsibande
Abahlali baseMjondolo Movement S.A Youth Secretary General
082 830 2707