4 July 2012
Combined AbM & UPM Press statement

Crucial Meeting in Umlazi

The meeting held at Nkonkoni Primary School on Saturday 30 June 2012 failed to resolve the crisis in Umlazi. It was supposed to be between community representatives and the regional ANC structure. However in the end the ANC actually sent the local BEC and there was no progress. The Ward 88 representatives demanded a meeting with various senior ANC leaders in Durban to be held today at 3.00 p.m.

Today is the day that we have all been waiting for. Today’s meeting will structure the future of the ward 88 shack settlements and determine whether the protests continue or are placed on hold.

If the officials and people that we are expecting to meet with today do not appear, or if they do appear and there is no progress, we will be left with no choice, but to take on streets again. We have always said that real and urgent issues – negligence and undermining from government – pushes us to go to street. Today is the day for them to come and prove themselves by showing that we count to them and that they are willing to sit and work with the poor.

If the meeting does not take place, we have a peaceful standby plan that will take place.

The meeting is scheduled for today, Wednesday, in Umlazi, at the Nkonkoni Primary School at 15:00pm

For more information please contact:

Bheki Buthelezi – Unemployed People’s Movement (UPM): 072 639 9893
China Ngubane – Democratic Left Front (DLF): 072 651 9790
Bandile Mdlalose – Abahlali BaseMjondolo Movement S.A (ABM): 071 424 2815
Des D’sa – South Durban Community Environmental Alliance (SDCEA):083 982 6939