Padkos: Thinking and learning an emancipatory praxis

Thinking and learning an emancipatory praxis

Thinking and learning an emancipatory praxis requires not only a confrontation with forces and ideologies of the right, but also with those elements in leftist traditions that re-inscribe authoritarian dogmatism, hierarchical power, political exclusion, and contemptuous vanguardism. No ideological orientation guarantees that we're safeguarded against these tendencies – but humanist, autonomist, and anarchist traditions of the left become important resources since they explicitly critique them and, perhaps more importantly, explore practical ways of doing politics against them.

In this edition of Padkos we're sharing a short note on “Christianity and Anarchism” that Mark Butler and Graham Philpott (CLP) recently wrote for our friends at the Anabaptist Network of South Africa (ANISA). We point out that the “anti-establishment, anti-authoritarian” characteristics of Jesus' politics signals “important parallels and resonances” with anarchism.

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Attachments


Butler & Philpott: Christianity & Anarchism
Graeber: The New Anarchists

Cato Crest: ‘We will stay…we have nowhere else to go’

http://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2014-06-26-cato-crest-we-will-staywe-have-nowhere-else-to-go/

‘We will stay…we have nowhere else to go’

On Sunday the eThekweni Municipality destroyed dozens of homes in Cato Crest, which it said had been built illegally on land earmarked for housing. RUMANA AKOOB, for Daily Vox, was there.

Durban’s shack dwellers live in constant fear. Evictions have become a common phenomenon in Durban and around the country.  On Sunday morning the eThekweni Municipality destroyed 48 informal dwellings in the Cato Crest settlement.

According to the 101 ward councillor, Nzimuni Ngiba, the municipality broke down these homes because their inhabitants were illegally occupying land that would be used for housing.

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Daily Maverick: Illegal Durban evictions, and the meaning of emancipatory politics

http://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2014-06-24-op-ed-illegal-durban-evictions-and-the-meaning-of-emancipatory-politics

Illegal Durban evictions, and the meaning of emancipatory politics

The elections of 1994 inaugurated a rights-based society, with an inclusive democratic constitution, subject to oversight of a Constitutional court. But if the ANC’s respect for constitutionalism is now open to question, where should we be looking for defence of the law, the Constitution and the rights it enshrines? The issue is raised sharply in attacks on communities, which have been evicted in spite of court orders declaring these illegal. By RAYMOND SUTTNER.

Freedom, in its full meaning, is a continuous process of refining, redefining, engagement and contestation. In the 1980s those involved in the liberation struggle sometimes strategised with flip charts. A line would be drawn down the middle and on one side there would be ‘the People’ and the other ‘the Enemy’. We would then assess the strengths and weaknesses of our forces and those of the other side. While there were some political organisations or strata that did not fit easily into these categories, in general we were clear the ‘progressive forces’ were those who worked to end Apartheid and establish a democratic South Africa. It was also clear who constituted or was allied to ‘the regime’.

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GroundUp: Abahlali to contest forced evictions

http://www.groundup.org.za/article/abahlali-contest-forced-evictions_1919

Abahlali to contest forced evictions

Michelle Korte

More than 100 shacks in Cato Crest’s Marikana Land Occupation and Lamontville’s Madlala Village were destroyed by the eThekwini municipality over the weekend, leaving about 300 people homeless, according to Abahlali.

Residents have begun the familiar process of rebuilding their homes.

The demolitions took place in spite of a 6 June Constitutional Court order.

The municipality’s Land Invasion Control Unit began the evictions on 21 June, demolishing 18 shacks in Cato Crest. On Sunday morning, 22 June, the unit arrived armed and without court orders, according to Abahlali president S’bu Zikode.

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Daily News: 300 homeless after Cato shacks demolished

http://www.iol.co.za/news/crime-courts/300-homeless-after-cato-shacks-demolished-1.1707942#.U6mIqZSSxps

300 homeless after Cato shacks demolished

June 23 2014 at 04:59pm

By NKULULEKO NENE AND KAMCILLA PILLAY

More than 300 people were left out in the cold after the eThekwini Municipality destroyed shacks in Cato Crest and Lamontville. PICTURE: GCINA NDWALANE

Durban – More than 300 people were left out in the cold on Sunday night after the eThekwini Municipality destroyed shacks in Cato Crest and Lamontville.

Angry Cato Crest residents went on the rampage, barricading Owen (Cato) Avenue with burning rubbish bins, trees and boulders.

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Abahali respond to allegations

6 June 2014

Dear Partners, Friends and Comrades,

Some of you have contacted us to ask what is happening in our movement after receiving emails from Bandile Mdlalose. It is unfortunate that the movement is under this type of attack from one of its former members. We wish to put the facts straight and to rest.

Repression & Living Politic

The first time that there was strain on the family feeling in our movement was after the repression in 2009. When people have been driven from their homes, have lost everything and are living under fear of death and all this is supported by the government it puts them under great strain. People can start to doubt each other and there can be conflict about how the movement decides on its priorities especially in terms of personal and collective security.

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