http://www.iol.co.za/news/south-africa/kwazulu-natal/abahlali-march-goes-ahead-1.1185732

Abahlali march goes ahead

The heavy rainfall did not deter hundreds of members of the KZN branch of the landless people’s movement, Abahlali Basemjondolo, from taking to the city’s streets on Thursday, in protest against a lack of housing, among other issues.

The protest, which was due to start at 8am, was delayed by a few hours, as the organisation attempted to secure a march permit from the city. It was granted at about 10.30am. 

The march was due to start at Botha’s Park and end at City Hall where a memorandum of demands was expected to be handed to a representative from the premier’s office.

Their call included a call for the removal of the municipality’s housing committee chairman, Nigel Gumede.

President of Abahlali, Mzwakhe Mdlalose, said they had made the mayor’s office aware of the march and they had been promised that a representative would collect the memorandum which would be given to the Mayor.

He said Gumede had disrespected their movement and the poor in Durban and had not made any attempts to sort out the housing debacle that shack dwellers are faced with.

“We met Mayor James Nxumalo, and he showed respect to us by agreeing to meet and give us a chance to talk to him,” he said. Mdlalose said at another meeting this year Gumede had told them they “could run to the media and tell them whatever they wanted to”.

“At another meeting he said some things I cannot disclose, but these things required us to go and report to the police,” he said. The Daily News had tried to organise an interview with Gumede but was told by the municipality’s communications team that Nxumalo wanted to be present to answer some of the questions.

Questions were mailed to the communications team two weeks ago and there has been no response and yesterday the municipality’s spokesman, Thabo Mofokeng, said Nxumalo would respond after Abahlali’s march. – Daily News