M&G: New struggle is for ownership of the city

http://mg.co.za/article/2014-10-24-new-struggle-is-for-ownership-of-the-city

Marie Huchzermeyer, Mail & Guardian

The imprint of apartheid is still evident in South African cities. As acknowledged widely by planning academics and recognised in the National Development Plan and draft Integrated Urban Development Framework, urban expansion has engendered new forms of segregation and exclusion.

Apartheid-divided suburbs have their equivalent today in fortified estates catering to an exclusive moneyed minority – a mere 3% of South Africa’s households. More densely packed, walled townhouse complexes cater to the aspiring middle class, which makes up barely 10% of South African households. Continue reading →

Daily Maverick: Poor-bashing is the new slut-shaming – Zuma, Sisulu & the lazy nation

http://www.dailymaverick.co.za/opinionista/2014-10-23-poor-bashing-is-the-new-slut-shaming-zuma-sisulu-the-lazy-nation

by Sisonke Msimang

I don’t know of a country that gives free houses to young people. Free housing in a few years will be something of the past. (Young people) have lost nothing (to Apartheid). If it is not clear – none of you (young people) are ever going to get a house free from me while I live.

– Lindiwe Sisulu

If I am wrong, come and tell me which country did as we did. Once we were free we said our major focus is to address the plight of the poor. In no country in the world have you seen government giving people houses free of charge because they are poor.

– President Zuma

Policy and administrative reforms will raise at least R12 billion in 2015/16, R15 billion in 2016/17 and R17 billion in 2017/18… This ceiling means that expenditure will continue to grow and the real value of our social spending will be maintained.

– MTEF Statement

Continue reading →

Twenty Years of Hell in Shacks

20 October 2014

Twenty years of hell in shacks

Presentation to the DDP Conference on ‘Twenty Years of Local Democracy in South Africa’, Durban, 20 & 21 October 2014

By S’bu Zikode

Twenty years of local democracy in South Africa has been very cruel for Abahlali baseMjondolo and for millions of other poor people. It has been twenty years of hell in shacks. It has been twenty years of living like pigs in the mud. It has been twenty years of living with rats, floods, fire and rotting rubbish. It has also been twenty years of evictions and forced removals to transit camps and other human dumping grounds. For those of us who have stood up for our humanity our reward has been lies, assault, torture, wrongful arrest, the destruction of our homes and even assassination. Continue reading →

The ANC and SACP are Building Shacks in the Marikana Land Occupation with the Permission of the Ward Councillor and Municipal Security Guards

18 October 2014
Abahlali baseMjondolo press statement

The ANC and SACP are Building Shacks in the Marikana Land Occupation with the Permission of the Ward Councillor and Municipal Security Guards

 
About twenty men, members of the ANC and the SACP, are building shacks right now in troubled Cato Crest in Ward 101. They are building their shacks in a piece of land that has been left vacant in the Marikana Land Occupation in order to build a community hall.

 
The men who are building shacks on this land said that the local ANC councillor Mzimuni Ngibi has given them permission to build the shacks. This has been confirmed by the security guards who are now placed in the settlement to guard against further land occupation by Abahlali. The security guards came and negotiated with the men and the councillor was then called to confirm that his comrades have the right to build.

 
We would be happy if everyone who is desperate for housing was allowed to build but only the ANC is allowed to build. The Land Invasion Unit and its law enforcement do not apply to ANC but only to people who are non-ANC. The same security guards have demolished several shacks built by Abahlali but today they smile while negotiating with the rulers of this country. Continue reading →

From Assassination with Bullets to Assassination with Words

17 October 2014

Abahlali baseMjondolo Press Statement

 

From Assassination with Bullets to Assassination with Words

On the 6th of October 2014, exactly one week after Thuli Ndlovu was assassinated, The Mercury published an article by Bongani Hans and Sihle Manda that was nothing but an attempt to assassinate the reputation of S’bu Zikode, of our movement and of the many people who are striving for land and housing in Durban independently of our movement.

The article, ‘Shacks pop up in Durban land grab’ by Bongani Hans and Sihle Manda is online here: http://www.iol.co.za/news/crime-courts/shacks-pop-up-in-durban-land-grab-1.1760398#.VDfdg2eSxps

It has since been republished by The Post and the South African Housing Federation which also circulated it via email. Continue reading →