Umlazi Ward 88 Councillor arrested for death threats and an unlicensed firearm

16 July 2017
Abahlali baseMjondolo Press Statement

Umlazi Ward 88 Councillor arrested for death threats and an unlicensed firearm

Ward 88 Councillor S’bu Maphumulo has been threatening the Abahlali leadership in our Silver City branch in Umlazi. When he was appointed the councillor was not known in the area and after he became a councillor he never visited the residents there. The first time that he was seen in the area was after our recent protests in support of the restoration of our human dignity. On Sunday, 9 July 2017, while Abahlali were holding their local community meeting, Cllr Maphumulo stormed the meeting with seven armed men, three hitmen and four police officers, in full police uniform, from GG Umlazi. He pointed to the local Abahlali chairperson, Lungelo Hlongwane, and said ‘’here is the man”. The armed men who had stormed the meeting then asked what the meeting was all about, was it about road blockades, or what. Lungelo said this was one of the regular community meetings that they hold about their lives and their future.  Continue reading →

GroundUp: Red Ants accused of firing rubber bullets

GroundUp

Red Ants accused of firing rubber bullets

Residents also claim their belongings were stolen during evictions

Photo of people sitting in the open
Residents sit with their belongings after being evicted by the Red Ants. Photo: Andrew Bennie
By

 

On Tuesday, the Red Ant Security Relocation and Eviction Services (commonly known as the Red Ants) evicted shack dwellers on the border between Ivory Park and Tembisa township. Residents once again accused the Red Ants of violence and theft of their cellphones and cash.  Continue reading →

Justice for Nqobile Nzuza: Police Officer Convicted of Murder

14 July 2017
Abahlali baseMjondolo Press Statement

Justice for Nqobile Nzuza: Police Officer Convicted of Murder

On 30 September, 2013 Nqobile Nzuza was murdered by the South African police in Cato Crest. She was shot from behind while participating in a protest organised around a road blockade. She was seventeen years old when she was murdered. The protest that she was participating in had been organised by residents of the Marikana Land Occupation after repeated evictions, always illegal and often violent. Nqobile was the third person to lose her life in the struggle for land and against repression from the ruling party and the state in Cato Crest in 2013. Thembinkosi Qumbelo was assassinated on 15 March 2013 and Nkululeko Gwala was assassinated on 26 June 2013.  Continue reading →

The Mercury: City, Abahlali stand-off and eviction protests continue

by Thami Magubane, The Mercury

Abahlali baseMjondolo protesters marched to Durban City Hall Picture: Bongani Mbatha

Attitudes have hardened between Abahlali BaseMjondolo and eThekwini Municipality as the group has vowed to continue to protest following a violent protest last week where 14 people were injured and two arrested and a municipal vehicle was burnt.  Continue reading →

Brutal Evictions and Road Blockades are Continuing

Friday, July 7, 2017
Abahlali baseMjondolo Press Statement

Brutal Evictions and Road Blockades are Continuing

As we explained in our statement yesterday we marched, in our thousands, on the Mayor of the eThekwini Municipality and the KZN MEC for Cooperative Governance on 26 June. However the Mayor and the MEC refused to present themselves to the thousands of people who marched on the City Hall.

The memoranda that we handed over gave them seven days to respond to our demands. We made it clear that if there was no response we would engage in further protest action. The seven days passed with no response. This the politic of contempt.  Continue reading →

Abahlali are under armed attack from the eThekwini Mayor

Thursday, 6 July 2017
Abahlali urgent press statement

Abahlali are under armed attack from the eThekwini Mayor

On 26 June we marched, in our thousands, on the Mayor of the eThekwini Municipality and the KZN MEC for Cooperative Governance. The Mayor and the MEC refused to present themselves to the thousands of people who had marched on the City Hall.

The memoranda that we handed over gave them seven days to respond to our demands. We made it clear that if there was no response we would engage in further protest action.   Continue reading →

A Call to the eThekwini Municipality: Do not buy Casspirs

PRESS STATEMENT: A Call to the eThekwini Municipality: Do not buy Casspirs

We are outraged at the plan for the City of Durban to purchase militarised vehicles to deal with protests by the people of the Durban. This marks an alarming and unacceptable escalation of the local state’s increasingly repressive and intolerant response.

The protest actions themselves highlight the deep crises and challenges that we need to be facing together as a community with compassion and inclusion. What is needed is respect for the concerns, freedoms and dignity of the people. What is needed is the effective and immediate deployment of skills focused on listening, on peaceful negotiations and inclusive dialogue. What is needed is to seriously address the root causes of inequality, exclusion, patronage, elite indifference and arrogance that lie behind people’s protest actions.  Continue reading →