Category Archives: Foreman Road Development Committee

Bulldozer Stopped in Foreman Road

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15:31
Bulldozer Stopped in Foreman Road

The bulldozer has been stopped. The Legal Resources Centre is on the way. If any further attempt is made to knock down any of the fully or partially rebuilt shacks before this is resolved legally the entrance roads into the settlement will be barricaded. People will defend their right to their homes, to this land and to the city.

Foreman Road residents note with concern that the article in this afternoon’s Daily News, which is below, (1) fails to consult any residents of Foreman Road while only consulting the police, the Housing Department and the Councillor and that (2) according to this article Yakoob Baig, a councillor who shack dwellers have rejected since 2005, and the Housing Department will decide whether people will be allowed to stay at Foreman Road or moved to one of the notorious temporary relocation areas.

It is up to the residents of Foreman Road to decide the future of the community not Yakoob Baig the liar or Cogi Pather the evictor.

Foreman Road is our home. We are urbanites. We live and work and school here. We will not be moved. If the City will not give us building materials we will rebuild the settlement ourselves. This land is ours.

We repeat: Nothing for us without us. We repeat: Talk to us, not for us.

People in Foreman Road are very angry at the moment.

We ask for electricity and taps and fire hydrants to stop the fires and they do nothing. When we push them they say that it is not policy to give shack dwellers electricity and fire hydrants. But when our shacks burn they are there super quickly with bulldozers. They can move when they want to. They can move when they think the can exploit a disaster to reruralize the people.

Sekwanele!

Contact Mnikelo Ndabankulu on or George Bonono on 0782245441

http://www.dailynews.co.za/index.php?fArticleId=4590435

Fire leaves thousands homeless

September 15, 2008 Edition 1

SLINDILE MALULEKA

One person died, more than 3 000 people have been left homeless and more than 800 informal dwellings have burned down in the Foreman Road informal settlement in Clare Hills, Durban, after a fire on Saturday morning.

Residents claimed that the fire was started by a candle which was left to burn while the occupants of a shack slept.

The fire spread rapidly from one shack to another and resulted in the death of Thembelani Khweshube, 30.

Supt Muzi Mngomezulu, provincial communications officer for the South African Police Service, said an inquest docket had been opened.

The area’s ward councillor, Yacoob Baig, said a decision would be taken in a meeting with the municipal housing department on whether to house the displaced residents at the site of the fire or to propose temporary housing elsewhere.

Koglan Pather, head of the city housing department, said council would ensure there was adequate shelter, ablution facilities and water.

“We have put up six tents and have ordered three more. We have also put in four chemical portable toilets and are awaiting six more,” said Pather. He said there was also clean water on site.

“This is until a more permanent solution can be found,” he said.

NGOs have offered to lend a hand in supplying food parcels, hot meals and blankets.

Trevor Stevens, divisional commander of eThekwini Fire and Emergency Services, said the fire was extensive and five hose lines and two water tankers were used to extinguish the blaze.

13.36
City is attempting to turn Foreman Road into a transit camp – resident’s are resisting

The City has, as they always do these days, seized the opportunity of the disastrous Foreman Road fire, to send in the bulldozers and turn the Foreman Road settlement into one of their notorious transit camps. There has been no consultation at all and residents are, right now, organising to resist.

The transit camps can take 3 months or longer to build while residents, especially if supported with building materials, can rebuild a whole settlement in a week. Transit camps are clearly just a ruse to render a long standing occupation ‘temporary’ and thus weaken people’s hold on the land and make them much more vulnerable to forced removal.

This is the same strategy that was used in Ash Road after the flood and in Jadhu Place after the fire. It was also used after the floods in New Orleans in America. Kennedy Road successfully resisted it after the recent fires. All over Durban and KZN and around the world disasters are being exploited to drive the poor out of the cities.

Mnikelo Ndabankulu is on the scene: 0797450653

Abahlali baseMjondolo demands that all municipalities upgrade the settlements where they are. The movement opposes all forced removals and evictions. The movement opposes the exploitation of disasters by the government to further its notorious apartheid style ‘slum eradication’ agenda. Shack settlements must be supported not eradicated. Slum clearance is just another attempt to drive the poor out of the cities.

Memorial Service for the Late Lungisani Jama, Tonight at 6:30 p.m.

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Thursday, August 30, 2007
Foreman Road Development Committee (Affiliated to Abahlali baseMjondolo)

Memorial Service for the Late Lungisani Jama, Tonight at 6:30 p.m.

A hero has fallen.

Lungisani Jama’s passing will be mourned and his life celebrated at the Foreman Road settlement tonight at 6:30 and in Gamalakhe, Port Shepstone on Saturday.

Lungisani was a man of struggle. He was born in 1976 and schooled in Gamalakhe where he was SRC president. He first started coming to the Foreman Road settlement during school holidays and he moved here permanently after he finished school. Immediately on his arrival he joined SANCO and the Branch Executive Committee of the ANC. But he broke with both organisations when he realised that they were not interested in doing anything for the poor and he was a founding member of Abahlali baseMjondolo in 2005.

Foreman Road was the first settlement to join with Kennedy Road after they blocked Umgeni Road in March 2005. This was not easy. There was a committee, last elected many years ago, that was loyal to the BEC and that governed Foreman Road with armed intimidation. The small group of people who challenged that committee to demand open democracy in the settlement were subject to death threats. Lungisani’s courage played a key role in inspiring others to begin the struggle that eventually led to the democratisation of the settlement. When open elections at a mass assembly became possible he was elected as the chairperson of the Foreman Road Development Committee in 2005 and again in 2006.

Lungisani also played a key role in the attempt to march on Mayor Obed Mlaba from the Foreman Road settlement on 14 November 2005. That march was illegally banned by City Manager Mike Sutcliffe and the 3 000 protestors were savagely attacked by the SAPS under the command of the notorious Glen Nayager. There were a number of serious injuries and the attack on democracy by Sutcliffe and Nayager made news around the world. Lungisani conducted himself with tremendous courage on that day and responded by leading the organisation of a march by the whole of Abahlali baseMjondolo, at that stage comprising 12 settlements, on the MEC for housing Mike Mabuyakulu on 28 February 2006. Around 20 000 people from around the city tried to march on Mabuyakulu but Sutcliffe once again illegally banned the march and sent in helicopters, armed vehicles and hundreds of riot police to corral people into their settlements. However Abahlali were able to go to the high court and to win an interdict against Sutcliffe and the SAPS and to
march into the city.

Lungisani also played a key role in shifting the production of the red Abahlali t-shirts into the settlements which eventually resulted in the development of the Abahlali Women’s Sewing Collective.

Tonight’s memorial service will be held to show the recognition by the people of the Foreman Road settlement and all of Abahlali baseMjondolo for Lungisani’s efforts. It will be attended by Bahlali from Durban, Pinetown and Pietermaritzburg and by various church leaders, including Filippo Mondini. The film Breyani & the Councillor which shows Lungisani speaking at the Foreman Road march shortly before the police attack will be screened and there will be a performance by the famous Abahlali isicathimiya choir the Dlamini King Brothers.

Lungiani Jama was a man of struggle. He inspired us. He motivated us. We will always remember him.

For further information please contact the following members of the Foreman Road Development Committee:

Mnikelo Ndabankulu 0735656241
Sibongile Ndlovu 0738146243
Philani ‘Star’ Ntsansi 0822595443

MARCH ON MAYOR OBED MLABA/IMASHI EYA-KUMEYA U-OBED MLABA 14 NOVEMBA 2005

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MARCH ON MAYOR OBED MLABA
ON 14 NOVEMBER 2005

ABAHLALA BASE MJONDOLO BAFUNA IZINDLU!

WHEN: Monday 14 November. We will gather at the Foreman Road settlement at 7:00 a.m., regather at Botha Park at 9:00 a.m. and present our demands to Obed Mlaba between 12:00 and 1:00. We will finish by 1:30.

WHERE: We will gather at Foreman Road, travel to Botha Park and march down West Street to the City Hall.

WHY: To demand land & housing; basic services like water, electricity & toilets and a community hall. We will also oppose forced removals to the rural periphery of the Metro. We will also tell Mlaba that if there are no land and houses in the city then there will be no vote.

ORGANISERS: The Foreman Road Development Committee. For more information contact Mr Mnikelo Ndabankulu (0735656241) or Mr Lungisani Jama (0822595443).

SUPPORTERS: This march is also supported by, and will include people from all of the 16 settlements that are now supporting the abahlali base mjondolo movement including Annet Drive, Banana City, Burnwood Road, Jadhu Place, Juba Place, Kennedy Road, Lacey Road, New Castle, Palmiet Road, Pemary Ridge, Pridley Park, Quarry Road, Puntan’s Hill, Shannon Drive, Sirpath Road and Umgudulu. It is also supported by the Clare Estate Taxi Association and the Reservoir Hills Public Transport Association.

The Shack Dwellers’ Struggle

Many promises to people living in shack have been broken. Across South Africa shack dwellers have been blocking roads and saying ‘Enough!’ There have been more than 850 illegal protests this year. In Durban, in Wards 23 and 25, thousands of people have marched on councillors Yacoob Baig and Jayraj Bachu to demand that promises to provide land, housing and basic services like water, electricity and toilets be kept. People have also been marching against plans to move shack dwellers out of the city to rural places like Verulum. The media have understood that people are suffering and have supported the marches very strongly. Other struggling communities have also offered strong support.

In Foreman Road many of us have being staying here since 1989. Before the last local government elections Mlaba came to us and promised that if the ANC won then the land between us and the Loon Road graveyard will be be given to us for housing. But now the Metro want to break this promise and dump us in Park Gate far away from work, schools, clinics and police stations.

We cannot continue to suffer like this. The time has come to say “Enough!” and to demand that the promises made to us be kept. The time has now come to march on the Mayor. We must tell Obed Mlaba that if we don’t get land, houses and basic services then we will not vote in the coming elections.

NO LAND, NO HOUSE, NO VOTE!

IMASHI EYA-KUMEYA U-OBED MLABA
NGOMHLAKA 14 NOVEMBA 2005

ABAHLALA BASE MJONDOLO BAFUNA IZINDLU!

NINI: Ngehora lesikhombisa ekuseni ngosumbuluka zingu 14 November 2005 (7:00 a.m.)

KUPHI: Siyobuthana ku-Foreman Road bese siqhubekela e- Botha Park kuyilaphoke siyomasha emgwaqeni u West Street siphikelele e City Hall. Simashe.

ISIZATHU: Ukulwela umhlaba nezindlu, izidingonqangi njengamanzi ahlanzekile, ugesi, izindlu zangasese kanye nehholo lomphakathi. Sizophinde siphikisane nesenzo sokukhishwa kwezakhamizi ngendluzula ziyiswa ezabelweni umkhandlu wedolobha. Sizophinda simtshele u Mlaba ukuthi uma ungekho umhlaba edolobheni ngeke nathi sivote.

ABAGQUGQUZELI: I komidi elibizwa ngokuthi, iForeman Road Development Committee. Ulwazi oluningi lungatholakala ngokuxhumana no uMnu Mnikelo Ndabankulu (0735656241) kumbe Mnu. Lungisani Jama (0822595443).

ABAXHASI: Lemashi izobungazwa ozakwethu azakhiweni ezingu 16 abazinikele ekusixhaseni ezikhalweni zabahlali basezakhiweni, lapha sibala abahlali baku Annet Drive, Banana City, Burnwood Road, Jadhu Place, Juba Place, Kennedy Road, Lacey Road, New Castle, Palmiet Road, Pemary Ridge, Pridley Park, Quarry Road, Puntan’s Hill, Shannon Drive, Sirpath Road and Umgudulu. Lemashi iphinde ixhaswe inhlangano yamatekisi ebizwa ngokuthi i Clare Estate Taxi Association ne Reservoir Hills Public Trans. Assoc.

UMzabalazo wabahlali ‘basemijondolo

Ziningi izithembiso ezenziwe ngaphambili ezingafeziwe. Ezweni lonke lalapha e South Africa abahlali basemijondolo besemzabalwazweni bavimba imigwaqo bathi ‘Sekwanele!’ Sekube nemibhikisho engaphezu kuka 850 engekho emthethweni kulonyaka nje vo. Ethekwini namaphethelo ku Ward 23 no 25, izinkulungwane zabantu zimamashe zayothula izikhalo zazo ku Yacoob Baig no Jayraj Bachu zikhalazela ukuthi izidingo ngqangi zazo izibalula umhlaba, izindlu, kanye namanzi, ugesi kanye nezindlu zangasese zingashaywa indiva. Abahlali bebemashela izinhlelo zokubakhipha kulezizindawo ngendluzula ziyiswe ngaphandle kwetheku ziyiswe izindaweni ezisemakhaya njengaseVerulum. Abantu bezindaba bayakholelwa ekutheni laba bantu bayahlupheka ingakho besiwuxhasa umzabalazo wabahlali ngokuphelele.Eminye imiphakathi esenkingeni ikhombisa ukuzwelana nalemiphakathi.

Iningi lethu Ku-Foreman Road laqala ukuhlala lapha kusukela ngo- 1989. Ngaphambi kokhetho lohulumeni basekhaya olwedlule uMlaba wasithembisa ukuthi uma i ANC iphumelela ukhetho umhlaba ophakathi kwethu namathuna aku Loon Road graveyard uyonoikezwa thina. Kepha manje umkhandlu weTheku usuyasiphula lesithembiso basilahlela e Park Gate kude nemisebenzi yethu, izikole, imitholampilo kanye neziteshi zamaphoyisa.

Ngeke siqhubeke nokuhlupheka kanje. Isikhathi sesifikile sokuthi “Kwanele!”siyafuna ukuthi izikhalo zethu zifezwe. Isikhathi sesifikile sokuthi simashele emahhovisini emeya. Kumele simtshele uMlaba ukuthi uma engasitholeli umhlaba , izindlu, kanye nezinye izidingonqangi ngeke sivote kulolukhetho lohulumeni base khaya eluzayo.

NGAPHANDLE KOMHLABA, NEZINDLU NGEKE SIVOTE!