Category Archives: Abahlali basePemary Ridge

Someone Needs to Answer for the Police Attack on Pemary Ridge

16 November, 20:42
Abahlali basePemary Ridge Press Statement

All Charges Dropped Against the Pemary 13, But Someone Needs to Answer for Police Attacks

Abahlali basePemary Ridge is happy that all charges were dropped against 13 of our members, who were arrested in a brutal attack last Friday by the Sydenham police.

Abahlali has said, since 2005, “My lawyer is my neighbour.” In court today, the Pemary 13 were not represented by a lawyer, but by the Chairperson of Abahlali baseMotala Heights , Shamita Naidoo, who learned about justice through years of experience working in her community, and about the law seeing case after political case brought by police against shack-dwellers. Shamita spoke powerfully and with a lot of anger against the police violence so common in Abahlali communities, and in all shack settlements.

All the charges were dropped. But someone needs to answer for what happened last Friday night. If there was no case against us, why were we shot at, beaten, tortured, abused and detained over the whole weekend?

Why is it us, and not the ratepayers who live across the street, that almost every week are attacked by police? Is it because we are poor? Is it because we are black? Is it because we are not welcome in Reservoir Hills? Not welcome in our own city? Not welcome in our own country? Is it because our settlement has been strongly Abahlali baseMjondolo since 2005 and that, therefore, we refuse to accept that we do not count in this society?

Why were we arrested, when it was the police who were committing crimes in Pemary on Friday night? Why does no one take seriously the fact that if you are a poor person the police are some of the dangerous criminals that you will ever have to confront?

The police are abusing us, and they are abusing government resources. Budgets for bullets, for cars, for lawyers, all were spent just to beat, shoot at and arrest shack-dwellers that committed no crime. The resources used to shoot at, beat and arrest innocent people could have been used to protect us. We as the poor are also getting robbed, stabbed and shot dead by criminals. We cannot afford private security. We need to be safe and yet all the police do in our communities is to torture and arrest us. Being poor has been turned into a crime. Being a poor person who doesn’t know your place – who insists on your right to be political, to think and to speak for yourself – has been turned into an even bigger crime.

These cases take our communities’ resources too. These cases take energy, and poor people’s finances. The people, who were arrested, missed school and work. One of the arrested was supposed to write his Matric exam today. People who were injured have to pay for a doctor. Some of them could not go to work or school today. Those who come to court in solidarity must take off work and school, and pay for taxi fares. If you are beaten with your guitar and you are a person that loves to make music you will have to buy a new guitar. If your door is kicked in you will have to fix that door. All these resources are wasted just because of the police attacking us. A person can lose their job for missing even one day of work.

We all need to be safe and happy in this country, not just some of us, not just a part of us – all of us. This is our position and we will stick to it through all kinds of attacks. A person is a person whether they find themselves in a shack or in a big house with a fence and a burglar alarm and private security.

For more information and comment please contact

Shamita Naidoo 074 315 7962
Philani Zungu 072 96 29312

Police Attack on Pemary Ridge – 13 arrested, at least 15 injured

Update, 16 November 11:45 – All charges against the Pemary Ridge 13 were dropped in the Pinetown Magistrate’s court this morning.

Update, 14 November 12:55 – The Sydenham Police continue to deny repeated explicit requests from the prisoners, and their families and comrades, for the injured detainees to receive medical attention.

This man was rushed to hospital after being beaten during the police attack on Pemary Ridge. Click here to see more pictures taken in the aftermath of the attack and here to read some brief notes on the attack.

Emergency Press Update from Abahlali basePemary Ridge
14 November 2009

Police Attack on Pemary Ridge – 13 arrested, at least 15 injured

The attack on Abahlali baseMjondolo continues.

The first van from the Sydenham Police Station arrived at the Pemary Ridge settlement at 8:00 p.m last night. The police officers went to a woman’s tuck shop and kicked down the door saying that they were looking for alcohol. At the time, a man was walking by, and the police assaulted him – they struck him, and swore at him. His sister, who saw the attack, screamed in terror. When members of the community gathered around to see what was happening, the police opened fire, and started shooting at people at random with live ammunition (we have the casings from the bullets that they shot at us). Some residents ran to the river to hide fearing a shoot to kill operation. Others assembled at the top of the road, and began burning tires in protest. More police arrived and they attacked the people protesting on the road opening fire several times. They then went from shack to shack kicking down the doors of residents’ homes and assaulting people in their homes. People were beaten bloody with fists and batons. Some were also pistol whipped. The police fired several live rounds into Philani Zungu‘s shack.

At least 15 people have been badly injured but we can’t give the final figure yet as many people scattered into the bush down by the river and some are too scared to return to the settlement.

15 people were arrested but two were released. The remaining 13 people and are being held without charge in the notorious Sydenham Police station where many Abahlali baseMjondolo members, and other poor African people, have been badly assaulted, and at times even tortured, over the years. Most recently the Kennedy Thirteen were severely assaulted in the Sydenham Police Station. Many of the people who have been arrested were visibly injured when they were arrested and community members saw them being beaten further as they were arrested and put in the vans. But the police are denying that they are injured and have denied them medical attention.

The Pemary Ridge Eleven will appear in the Pinetown’s Magistrate’s court on Monday. It is not yet clear what they will be charged with. Visiting hours at the Sydenham Police station today start at 12:00.

This is the third attack on the Pemary Ridge settlement by the Sydenham Police since the attack on Abahlali baseMjondolo in Kennedy Road. The last two times they came and arrested people for connecting themselves to electricity. This was an attack on the whole community. Before they left the police said “This is a lesson – tell the others.”

The total number of people arrested since the attack on Abahlali baseMjondolo began on 26 September 2009 is now 32.

There is no democracy for the poor in Durban.

In this city if you are a poor person the police are dangerous criminals and you must fear them.

The whole of this, and last month, is just reports of the police shooting. 2010 has arrived, and by by the time the tournament comes, the stadium will be full of bullets.

A full and detailed statement will be issued after the whole community has met to discuss the police attack and to plan our response.

eThekwini kukhala abangcwele.

S’bu 076 7438427
S’bongile 0797433572

The police also harassed AbM members in Motala Heights on Friday. At a mass meeting the next day, Saturday, 144 more people in Motala joined AbM. Contact Shamita Naidoo for more details on 074 315 7962

Pemary Ridge Under Police Attack Now; Shooting Continues