Picture by Carla-Dee Sims.
Abahlali launches a branch in the Foreman Road Settlement
8 June 2014
Abahlali press statement
Abahlali launches a branch in the Foreman Road Settlement
We are determined to focus and spend all our energy building a strong movement in shack settlements and in poor communities.
Today Abahlali will be launching a branch in Foreman Road. Foreman Road settlement is one of the biggest settlements in Abahlali situated in Clare Estate, Durban.
We have had members in this settlement since 2005 but for the last three years there has not been a properly constituted branch in this settlement. The community has recently had several mass meetings to discuss the new to relaunch the local branch and to recruit Abahlali membership.
The Day after the Kennedy Road Shack Fire – 5 June 2014
The Day after the Kennedy Road Shack Fire – 5 June 2014
Kennedy Road Fire 4 June 2014
Kennedy Road Fire 4 June 2014
Kennedy Road Fire 4 June 2014
M&G: Avert forced removals by giving the rich’s land to the poor
http://mg.co.za/article/2014-06-05-avert-forced-removals-by-giving-the-richs-land-to-the-poor
Avert forced removals by giving the rich's land to the poor
Jared Sacks
The outcry over this past week’s brutal eviction of shack dwellers in Lwandle, outside Cape Town, has prompted new Minister of Human Settlements Lindiwe Sisulu, to step in and temporarily allow residents back on the land from which they were evicted. She promised to investigate the matter and pursue what she called “unanswered questions”.
There are indeed many unanswered questions about this eviction.
Daily Maverick: Evictions: 0 out of 10, SANRAL – try again
http://www.dailymaverick.co.za/opinionista/2014-06-05-evictions-0-out-of-10-sanral-try-again/
Pierre de Vos
“The law is the law,” said Vusi Mona, spokesperson for SANRAL, on Tuesday when he attempted to justify the eviction of hundreds of people from their homes built on SANRAL land. Mona was invoking an interim interdict aimed at unspecified persons intending to occupy SANRAL land to justify the eviction.
The interdict purports to prohibit unspecified persons from unlawfully occupying the land, building structures on the land and inhabiting those structures. It also authorises SANRAL, duly assisted by the SAPS, to remove people from the land, demolish their homes and remove their belongings from the land.
However, the interdict clearly excludes from its ambit those who had already occupied land and were already living in structures on the land at the time that the interdict was granted.
Concourt slams “unacceptable” evictions
http://www.seri-sa.org/index.php/38-latest-news/253-zulu-concourt-slams
Concourt slams “unacceptable” evictions
On 6 June 2014, the Constitutional Court handed down judgment in Zulu and 389 Others v eThekwini Municipality and Others (Zulu). SERI represents Abahlali baseMjondolo (Abahlali) who acted as amicus curiae in the case. The case concerned the interpretation of a court order obtained by the KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Human Settlements and Public Works on 28 March 2013 from the Durban High Court. The order permits the Durban municipality to “prevent any persons from invading and/or occupying and/or undertaking the construction of any structures” on specified land within the municipality’s area of jurisdiction and to “remove any materials placed by any persons upon” that land. The order was used to justify the Cato Crest evictions in 2013.
Kennedy Road shack settlement burns again leaving over 2000 people homeless
5 June 2014
Abahlali baseMjondolo press statement
Kennedy Road shack settlement burns again leaving over 2000 people homeless
At about 19:15pm last night Kennedy Road shacks were on a huge flame of fire which left at least more than 2000 people without shelter etc. The fire is believed to have been caused by an unattended paraffin stove. It is fortunately that there were no injuries or death reported. Women and children are the most affected by this fire. Many of them lost all their belongings inthis fire including foods, furniture, clothing (including school uniforms), IDs and building material.
We are sad that after years of our struggle this community remains in such difficult and in fact life threatening conditions. In December 2005 former eThekwini Mayor Obed Mlaba made a public promise to house Kennedy Road residents in Cornubia. Cornubia is a biggest new greenfield housing development in the province. Today the same Cornubia has been given to other people and the list was made at night in other settlements. We were later told that you have to be the volunteer of the ruling party in order to benefit.