Call to action for Marikana Day anniversary [15-16 August] – Cape Town

Call to action for Marikana Day anniversary

Social movements and trade unions in Cape Town say: We Are All Marikana!

Organisations from across Cape Town and surrounding rural areas are calling progressive forces to remember the fallen at Marikana. MarikanaDay represents the coming together of all of our struggles.

When we say "We Are All Marikana" we call for workers and the poor to:

* Re-occupy our land!

* Demand a living Wage!

* Provide housing and basic services for all!

* End police brutality!

* Take back the right to protest!

—————————————————————————————

Please join us for these two important events:       

Friday 15 August: “We are all Marikana”: March and vigil against police brutality, Cape Town CBD

·      Where: Meet at Parliament at lunch time and then march via Cape Town Central SAPS to the Grand Parade

·      When: 1pm – 5pm

·      What: We will start with a picket outside parliament where we will call on The Portfolio Committee on Police to act on those responsible for the Marikana Massacre. We will then take our case against police brutality to the Cape Town Central Police Station. Finally, we will end up at the Grand Parade for a mass candle light vigil in memory of everyone in South Africa who has been murdered by the South African Police Service.

·      Why: The 34 miners shot down on 16 August 2012 have become a symbol for police brutality and impunity. Two years later, not a single police officer, government official, or Lonmin employee has even faced charges for pulling the trigger or organising the massacre. At the Farlam Commission we have seen the police withholding and fabricating evidence. Justice delayed is justice denied.

 Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/events/256635867880208/256635871213541/

—————————————————————————————

Saturday 16 August: “We Are All Marikana”: March for economic justice, Philippi

·      Where: Philippi Train Station via Philippi East SAPS to Marikana Land Occupation

·      When: 9:30am to gather & 10:30am to march

·      What: We will start at Philippi Train Station and march to the Philippi East SAPS on Stock Road to demand an end to police persecution of our communities. From there we will march  to Marikana settlement where we will hold a rally. The rally will include performing arts, spoken word, music, speakers from communities, trade unions and from the Marikana commission.

·      Why: Social movements, trade unions and other organisations from all over Cape Town will commemorate the second anniversary of the Marikana Massacre. “We Are All Marikana” means that we suffer from a system that dispossesses us, exploits us, and puts the interests of the workers and poor last. We are therefore marching to re-occupy our stolen land, to claim the right to protest and to demand housing, basic services, a living wage for all, and an end to police brutality.

·      For updates visit the Facebook event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/343776395769402/

 A full schedule of Cape-based Marikana anniversary events (subject to change) is attached.

—————————————————————————————

Contacts

Our Twitter hashtags will be #WeAreAllMarikana and #MarikanaDay

For media comment, contact:

Faeza Meyer (Housing Assembly) @ 0790886566

Vuyo Lufele (Numsa-WC) @ 0724850950

Thembelani (Marikana Settlement) @ 0603549571

 

To get involved and help mobilise, contact:

Ru Slayan @ 0832737242 & slyrua001@myuct.ac.za

Ashley Fataar @ 0766476101 & ashfataar@gmail.com

—————————————————————————————

Participating organizations

 

Marikana Land Occupation

NUMSA Western Cape

Housing Assembly

Equal Education

UCT Left Students Forum

Right 2 Know Campaign

African Arts Institute

Activate

Ndifuna Ukwazi

Social Justice Coalition

DLF

and many more…

Attachments


Marikana Day - Full Programme

Illegal Evictions in Isipingo, All Criminal Charges Dismissed Against the Ridgeview Twelve

Wednesday, 30 July 2014

Abahlali baseMjondolo Press Statement

 

Illegal Evictions in Isipingo, All Criminal Charges Dismissed Against the Ridgeview Twelve

 

1. Evictions in the Uganda Settlement

Yesterday the notorious eThekwini Municipal Land Invasion Unit evicted seven families in the Uganda settlement near Isipingo in the South of Durban. As always the Municipality had no court order and therefore this was an illegal attack on the residents.

Continue reading →

Bahlali Bayanda! Three Branches Launched on Sunday.

Monday, 28 July 2014

Abahlali baseMjondolo Press Statement

 

Bahlali Bayanda! Three Branches Launched on Sunday.

On Friday we joined thousands of others in Durban and marched in support of Gaza. We will continue to look for ways to support the struggle in Palestine.

On Sunday we launched three branches. The first two branches to be launched were in eNsimbini in Chesterville and KwaNdengezi in Pinetown. The comrades in eNsimbini have been struggling against evictions. They are being left homeless as their traditional homes are being demolished to make way for RDP houses. In April Baba Cele and Baba David Ngubane were both shot and wounded when they asked to see a court order during an illegal eviction perpetrated by the eThekwini Municipality. This was the twelfth eviction in the area. There have been no demolitions here for the last two months, probably due to strong resistance. The comrades at eNsimbini have named their new branch ‘Chris Hani’. They have requested copies of the Constitution for all members. They are well aware that when residents know this law this knowing does not force the Municipality to obey the law but they feel that it is important that everybody understands clearly that the Municipality is a criminal organisation and that resistance to it is just.

Continue reading →

Tomorrow We March in Solidarity with the Oppressed People of Palestine

Thursday, 24 July 2014

Abahlali baseMjondolo Press Statement

 

Tomorrow We March in Solidarity with the Oppressed People of Palestine

People in Palestinian are being murdered with impunity. Their homes are being destroyed with impunity. As they are being murdered and as their homes are being destroyed they are being shown to the world as if they are responsible for their own oppression. It is clear that the Palestinians are people who do not count to this world.

In the past we have organised and protested in solidarity with people in Haiti and Turkey. Tomorrow we will join the march in Durban in solidarity with people currently under attack in Palestine. Our solidarity will be to insist that everyone must count equally in this world.

Continue reading →