Abahlali baseMjondolo Press Statement:
31 July, 2008 – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Khayelitsha – QQ Section, Abahlali baseMjondolo’s newest member community, has been one of the most deprived informal settlements in Cape Town: they have been waiting for services from government for the past 20 years. The last 14 years of ‘democracy’ has been meaningless to residents of QQ Section.
After living so many years without rudimentary services, abahlali (residents) find it very appalling for the City of Cape Town to claim that This City Works for You and the the Western Cape is a Home for All. They have sought to marginalise us and incited devisions between us so that we fight their ANC/DA political battles.
After many attempts by residents of QQ trying to force the City to provide them with basic services including mass-based protests, negotiations on good faith, and handing over of community-drafted memorandums, each endeavor has fallen on deaf ears.
So abahlali have decided to establish their own services owed to them by government. By donating R5 and R7 to erect their own crèche which will also double as a community hall, library and youth centre, as well as house the only toilet in the settlement, we are trying to prove that another world is possible.
On the 5th of July, 2008, residents of QQ took lead of launching the Western Cape branch of Abahlali baseMjondolo (Shackdwellers Movement) with the aim of uniting all shackdwellers in South Africa. Now, on the 2nd of August, 2008, the abahlali of QQ Section will have the ceremonial launch of their first self-financed community development project – the QQ Community crèche.
This crèche to be a community project owned by the people and not a non-governmental organisation controlled be a few self-electing board members. After a number of mass meetings, the newly elected Children’s Committee will be required to ensure that parents and other abahlali play a vital role in the success of this cooperative project. Also, after much discussion, residents agreed to a R50 per month fee for children attending the crèche. This community-owned project will seek the betterment of the entire community through volunteers helping out a few times a week and not a profit for any individual.
For further information, please feel free to contact Mzonke Poni at 073-256-2036 or qq.section@webmail.co.za