Abahlali to hold Memorial Service for baby Khwezi Mlingo

11 July 2019
Abahlali baseMjondolo press statement

Abahlali to hold Memorial Service for baby Khwezi Mlingo

At 12 pm tomorrow Abahlali baseMjondolo members will hold a Memorial Service for baby Khwezi at the eNkanini land occupation in Cato Manor. Baby Khwezi Mlingo was burnt to ashes on Tuesday at 8pm after a candle fell causing a shack fire that took her life and injured her two siblings. This community, like many shack communities, does not have formal access to water and electricity.

For too long now Abahlali have been serving our life sentence in the shacks, without the basic services that can keep people safe, a life sentence handed by the ANC government. The City has vowed never to render any services to Abahlali settlements as long as the ANC is still in charge of government. This decision was taken since Nigel Gumede and Obed Mlaba were mayors of Durban and it has been continued till today. Anyone who rebels against the corruption and violence of the ANC, against the indignity in which the ruling party forces us to live, is denied access to basic services and housing.  Continue reading →

Baby Khwezi Mlingo Is No More

Tuesday, 9 July 2019
Abahlali baseMjondolo press statement

Baby Khwezi Mlingo Is No More

Last night at about 8pm a 2-year-old baby girl, Khwezi Mlingo was left in the house in the eNkanini land occupation with her two brothers, one is 7 years and the other is 12 years.

The mother of the 3, Mbali Mlingo was still on her way back from work. She had asked the neighbour who is running a creche nearby to check on her kids. The father had left to work for his night shift duties. The self-connected electricity went off and the neighbour helped to light the candle. The candle fell causing the shack fire. The 12-year-old boy and the 7 year boys were burnt trying to help their sister. They sustained minor injuries and were rushed to hospital. They were treated and discharged. However, the 2-year-old baby girl Khwezi could not make it. Khwezi was burnt to ashes. Continue reading →

Elitsha: Housing organisations welcome Red Ants suspension

Elitsha

Mzi Velaphi

Organisations representing poor and working class people who have borne the brunt of the marauding Red Ants in the past, are celebrating the suspension of the company. .

Community-based organisations that fight for land and decent housing have welcome the suspension of the Red Ants Relocation and Security Services by the Private Security Industry Regulatory Authority (PSIRA). The Red Ants who are notorious for violence related to evictions have been suspended by PSIRA pending an investigation into their conduct.

In May, the controversial security company demolished and destroyed 80 structures in Alexandra township. The suspension also relates to other forced removals and evictions that they have carried out.  Continue reading →

Kennedy Road Trial Resumes Tomorrow, Another Attack on the Azania Occupation

Tuesday, 18 June 2019
Abahlali baseMjondolo Pres Statement

Kennedy Road Trial Resumes Tomorrow, Another Attack on the Azania Occupation

Today the Azania land occupation was attacked again. Twenty-six homes that had been rebuilt after the last attack were demolished and the building materials burnt. Around one hundred and fifty people will have to sleep in the open tonight. The struggle to hold the land continues despite the repeated armed and violent attacks from the state.

We repeat that the ongoing attacks on the Azania land occupation are illegal and, in law, criminal acts perpetrated by an armed and violent state against impoverished people. The comrades will rebuild once again. The land will be held. Continue reading →

Abahlali to commemorate Youth Day in Durban & Newcastle

Sunday, 16 June 2019
Abahlali baseMjondolo Press Statement

Abahlali to commemorate Youth Day in Durban & Newcastle

June 16, is a very significant day in our calendar where we remember those young people who took a stand against the ruthless apartheid regime in 1976. Many people lost their lives in the youth driven insurrection that spread across the country in 1976.

However, today, 25 years after the end of apartheid, most young people still face many of the same challenges that they faced under apartheid. And young people continue to lose their lives in the struggle for dignity, justice and a future. The state and the ruling party both continue to murder impoverished black activists.  Continue reading →

Major Attack on the Azania Land Occupation

Thursday, 13 June 2019
Abahlali baseMjondolo Press Statement

Major Attack on the Azania Land Occupation

There has just been major attack on the Azania Land Occupation this morning. Many of the occupiers were at court this morning to support comrades from another occupation and the City sized the opportunity to attack.

The Land Invasion Unit, and the Metro Police, arrived, heavily armed and demolished around 70 homes, after which they burnt the materials and people’s possessions. Continue reading →

Abahlali welcome the news that Zandile Gumede has stepped down as the Mayor of eThekwini

Tuesday, 11 June 2019
Abahlali baseMjondolo press statement

Abahlali welcome the news that Zandile Gumede has stepped down as the Mayor of eThekwini

Abahlali baseThekwini deserve respect and dignity from anyone holding public office, including mayors and councillors.

We wish to welcome the decision made by ANC Provincial Executive Committee in KwaZulu Natal that Mayor Gumede must step down for thirty days following her arrest on serious charges of corruption and money laundering. Gumede is out on R50 000 bail after being arrested on the charge of stealing R208 million of tax payers’ money, money meant for a Durban Solid Waste tender. R37 million of this money was meant to provide water and sanitation to shack settlements. Many of us in shack settlements remain without water and sanitation. One of the causes of our continued suffering is corrupt officials like Gumede.  Continue reading →

Violent Evictions in Cato Manor & Chesterville

Friday, 7 June 2019
Abahlali baseMjondolo Press Statement

Violent Evictions in Cato Manor & Chesterville

Yesterday at about 10:15, while we were hosting a vibrant and very interesting political education meeting in central Durban, the Land Invasion Unit, the Metro Police, the Public Order Police and private security attacked the Azanian occupation in Cato Manor. Around 60 homes were destroyed. The ward councillor was present during the attack.

There have been repeated attacks on this occupation since February, when the land was first occupied. One person was recently discharged after being hospitalised for two months as a result of injuries sustained from the Land Invasion Unit during an eviction. The comrades rebuilt last night, working through the night and in the rain.  Continue reading →

Abahlali to take the City of Ekurhuleni to Court

Wednesday, 26 June 2019
Abahlali baseMjondolo press statement

Abahlali to take the City of Ekurhuleni to Court

The Abahlali baseMjondolo branch in Vusimuzi, Tembisa, will tomorrow take the City of Ekurhuleni, to the Johannesburg High Court over longstanding brutal and illegal evictions in the area. Since 2018 the community has suffered ongoing attacks in the name of reblocking.

Reblocking is supposed to be a process by which shacks built closely together are separated to make space for development. This is done to build passage ways, road access, provision of sewer pipes, water and sanitation and electricity. Continue reading →

Abahlali bas’eKhenana return to court

Wednesay 5 June 2019
Abahlali baseMjondolo press statement

Abahlali bas’eKhenana return to court

For a long time the Abahlali bas’ Khenana land occupation has faced brutal and illegal evictions from the eThekwini Municipality’s notorious Land Invasion Unit. The belongings of the community have been confiscated and burnt many times. Abahlali have always rebuilt after each and every eviction. Under the rule of the ANC inkani opens the road to land, and the price for land is paid in blood.

Mzi Ngiba, the local ANC councillor, has been dividing the community using the local ANC members to wage violence on Abahlali. He has also encouraged local ANC members to occupy land with the aim of displacing Abahlali. Continue reading →