Category Archives: Kamcilla Pillay

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.

Continue reading →

Protests in Mariannridge

http://www.iol.co.za/news/crime-courts/residents-protest-over-lack-of-housing-1.1348181#.UBZkPmHVWFc

Residents protest over lack of housing

July 24 2012 at 02:36pm
By Kamcilla Pillay

Durban – More than 300 disgruntled community members, fed up with the lack of service delivery and the issue of land claims, gathered at Mariannridge on Tuesday morning.

The protesters started blockading the Milky Way road going into and out of the area with rubbish and burning tyres at 6am.

Some residents said the problem had started on Monday night. Continue reading →

Daily News: Hundreds homeless after Kennedy Road blaze

http://www.iol.co.za/dailynews/news/hundreds-homeless-after-kennedy-road-blaze-1.1270369

Hundreds homeless after Kennedy Road blaze

by Zama Nene and Kamcilla Pillay

Scores of homes were destroyed and two people received minor injuries after a fire spread through the Kennedy Road informal settlement on Tuesday night.

Residents stood watching as the fire engulfed their homes. A few had managed to salvage some of their belongings, carrying them on to the street, before the fire reached their shacks. Makhosi Zungu, carrying her six-month-old baby on her back, said she had to leave some of her belongings behind.

“The house below mine started burning and within minutes our house caught fire, we don’t know where we’ll sleep tonight,” Zungu said.

Bandile Mdlalose heaved a sigh of relief when her shack escaped harm and said she had seen the smoke and run outside.

“I’m sad my neighbours lost their homes, but I’m thankful my house was saved,” she said.

Local councillor, Bhekisani Ngcobo, said it was unclear what had caused the fire.

Those who had lost their homes would be housed at the community hall, he said.

Netcare911 spokesman, Chris Botha, said there were only two minor injuries.

Divisional commander, Owen Singh, of the Durban Central Fire Station said between 75 and 100 informal dwellings were affected.

“This caused panic and resulted in people trying to take whatever belongings they could salvage, and start running,” he said. He said illegal electricity connections compounded the threat.

Singh said the ward councillors and the eThekwini Disaster Management unit also arrived with blankets and other supplies.

The cause of the fire, he said, was still being investigated.

Note: Self-organised electricity connections, when carefully done, PREVENT FIRES, by doing away with the need to have open flames for light, cooking and heat. But when the state sends in men with guns to destroy them on a regular basis, or communities are not organised, it becomes more difficult to make these connections in an organised and safe way.

Daily News: Kennedy Road: teen hurt

The security guard killed last month was shot in Kenville, an area where there is no AbM branch.

http://www.dailynews.co.za/kennedy-road-teen-hurt-1.1114006

Kennedy Road: teen hurt

August 8 2011 at 04:00pm

KAMCILLA PILLAY

Mlamuli Bango was at the wrong place, at the wrong time. The 16-year-old was coming back from a shop when he was shot with rubber bullets during a clash between residents and security guards at the Kennedy Road informal settlement on Saturday.

“I heard gunshots and that there was some problem with the people and illegal electricity connections,” said the Grade 8 Lakehaven Secondary School pupil.

He was then hit three times, once on his arm and twice on his back.

Security guards and some residents at the Kennedy Road informal settlement have clashed in the past as the municipality looks to disconnect illegal electricity connections and deal with cable theft.

A month ago, a man was shot on the chin with a rubber bullet when guards raided the settlement.

Illegal connections and cable theft cost ratepayers R120 million a year.

Mlamuli spent Saturday night in Addington Hospital and was discharged yesterday.

“The doctors said that I must come back if I feel any pain,” he said.

“I’m scared now. I wish I could live somewhere else,” said Bango.

His mother, Nomonde, said that she was worried about her children walking the streets.

“What if this happens again?

“And what if he is killed the next time?” she asked.

Nozuko Hulushe, Bango’s aunt, who witnessed the incident, said she saw members of a private security company raiding dwellings and removing cables that had been used to illegally connect electricity.

“Members of the community got angry because we need the electricity – it is a basic need that has not been provided by the municipality,” she said.

Police spokesman, Lieutenant Colonel Vincent Mdunge, said police had received a report that a 16-year-old boy had been shot with rubber bullets.

“Some of the private security guards were assaulted. There was gunfire that came from within the settlement,” he said.

President of Abahlali baseMjondolo, the shack dwellers’ movement, Sbu Zikode, said police needed to find out who was responsible for shooting Mlamuli.

“This is the reality of the war that the eThekwini Municipality and the government of South Africa is waging on the poor of this country day after day,” he said.

“Who was responsible for the shooting: the guards or the community?” he asked.

Mdunge said there were no Metro police officers or SAPS members on the scene.

eThekwini Municipality department of electricity head, Sandile Maphumulo, said his department was aware that people living in shacks needed electricity but said committees were meeting to discuss how they would go about doing this later this month.

“The challenge is bigger than people think,” he said at the time.

The community was still tense after a security guard tasked with protecting city workers was killed last month.

kamcilla.pillay@inl.co.za

Daily News: Marchers protest against World Cup

http://www.dailynews.co.za/index.php?fArticleId=5517586

Marchers protest against World Cup

June 17, 2010 Edition 1

Kamcilla Pillay

THE sound of vuvuzelas cut through the air in Durban yesterday – but for one large group there was little to celebrate.

Amid cries of phansi ngama-fat cats, phansi (down with fat cats, down), and a sea of banners proclaiming the government cared only for the rich, civil rights organisations took to the streets protesting against poor service delivery and the World Cup.

Abahlali Base Mjondolo, KwaZulu-Natal Subsistence Fisher’s Forum, Clairwood Social Forum and about 17 other organisations gathered for what they dubbed an “anti-Thiefa” protest march which started at Dinizulu Park and ended at City Hall yesterday.

“The R40 billion the government has spent on the World Cup could have comfortably housed three million homeless South Africans,” said Alice Thomson of the Durban Social Forum.

“Soccer will not make a better life for all – it will only make the rich richer and the poor poorer,” Thomson said.

This week, Thomson was arrested for distributing anti-Fifa pamphlets at the Fifa Fan Fest in Durban.

Bongani Mthembu, of the South Durban Community Environmental Alliance, said that the decision to hold the protest on Youth Day was deliberate.

“Youth Day is an opportunity for us as the youth to air our grievances and raise our concerns. We can show the foreigners here the truth about what’s happening behind the World Cup,” he said.

Chairman of KZN Subsistence Fisher’s Forum Essop Mohamed said: “Some people were ‘tired of falling by the wayside’. We are marching against oppression.

Fish

“They let Fifa come here and do what they want, but they won’t let us fish,” he said, referring to a city ruling to bar fishing in certain areas along the beachfront.

Said Shamitha Naidoo, community chairwoman in Pinetown of Abahlali Base Mjondolo: “We need to show them (tourists) what’s happening. How will these poor people benefit from the World Cup?”

Protester Kirubavathi Pillay, 68, was also angry at what she said was the inability of the eThekwini Municipality to deliver adequate services.

“No one worries about us. We can’t manage without some help from the government,” Pillay said.

“They are not fighting for us. We must fight for us,” added Jaysh Ramphul, another marcher.

Deputy Mayor, Logie Naidoo, said people were not seeing the “bigger picture” and were “a bit narrow-minded”.

Naidoo charged. “In terms of infrastructure and upgrades, the World Cup has made a positive difference. We knew what we were getting ourselves into. What difference does it make to protest now?” he asked.

“Anyhow you cannot put a value on the free marketing the city is benefiting from. The world’s spotlight is on us now” Naidoo added.

kamcilla.pillay@inl.co.za