Category Archives: The Mandela Park Backyarders

Ayanda Kota: We are all in the same boat

Leave a reply

Ayanda Kota: We are all in the same boat

Solidarity Statement with the Unemployed People’s Movement in Grahamstown
The Mandela Park Backyarders
13 January 2012

As Backyarders we view the security forces including the police as part of those who are suppressing poor people from raising in public genuine issues that affect us. The state including SAPS maintain the fear of a possible mass rebellion and are embarking on psychological intimidation and physical brutality against us.

As social activists, we are not shaken by the actions of government. It is clear this government does not like its own people but only appreciates those who always follow their line. If you are strongly and actively opposing the agenda of those in power, then you get punished.

Ayanda Kota is unfortunately one of those target by the state. He was arrested and then assault in full view of his child and others at the Grahamstown Police Station. We know he is not alone. He has been targeted in the same way as Andreas Tatane and countless other activists all over the country.

The question we should ask now is who is next?

So as poor black people who continue to be marginalised under the black government we can predict what would happen to us and our families when we also are outspoken and defiant.

Negesixhosa siyabaphazamisa abatyayo. This simply means that if we causing problems for those who eat first (the elite), they will react with oppression towards us.

As poor blacks we can expect this kind of treatment in every township, in every city in South Africa. We can expect police brutality to continue for as long as we allow it to happen. The irony that it is all happening under a black government is not lost on us. Verwoed must be smiling in his grave because these attacks on our people continue even while the same people are telling us that we are free.

We salute you Comrade Ayanda Kota. Ayanda, remember one thing: we are all in the same boat.

For comment, please contact Loyiso Mfuku @ 0737662078

More protests tomorrow at New Khayelitsha Hospital

Leave a reply

12 January 2012

More protests tomorrow at New Khayelitsha Hospital

Tomorrow at 12pm, Khayelitsha residents will be meeting with KDF (Khayelitsha Development Forum) and the Khayelitsha Hospital officials in their quest to reverse what they believe is a fraudulent recruitment process.

KDF and Hospital officials are expected to address residents in a mass meeting outside the hospital tomorrow afternoon at 12pm.

This meeting is a follow up meeting after Tuesday’s meeting where residents had an opportunity to meet KDF & officials for the first time regarding the employment at the new hospital.

The residents demand are as follow:

We demand to know! Residents of Khayelitsha do not know anything about the Hospital. We have not been consulted. We know nothing about employment or anything else regarding the building and management of the place.

We demand consultation! We will prevent anyone from coming to work on-site until the officials come down and addressed us.

We demand the redo of the recruitment process allowing for a proper democratic process to unfold under the proper supervision of elected Khayelitsha community members.

We demand that at least 60% of employees be sourced from the area close to the hospital (including essential services) and the remainder sourced from around Khayelitsha.

We demand clarity as to why job vacancies seem to already have been filled before 229 jobs advertised in Cape Argus on the 08th November 2011 and the 329 jobs advertised on City Vision and Vukani.

We demand that the MEC for health address our grievances with immediate effect.

We invite all Khayelitsha residents including those that applied for positions.

See you outside hospital tomorrow

For more information please contact:

Mr. Mabhelandile on 0838861831
Mr. Khaya on 0780241683

Khayelitsha residents arrested for protest outside new Khayelitsha Hospital

Leave a reply

http://mpbackyarders.org.za/2012/01/10/khayelitsha-residents-arrested-for-protest-outside-new-khayelitsha-hospital/#more-562

Khayelitsha residents arrested for protest outside new Khayelitsha Hospital

10 January 2011
Statement on behalf of protesting Khayelitsha residents

Earlier this morning a group of Khayelitsha residents showed up in front of the brand new Khayelitsha Hopsital to protest against the refusal of hospital authorities to hire local people from amongst the recent estimated 70,000 job applications. Estimates are that only 2%-10% of staff hired at the hospital are from the Khayelitsha area.

Almost 100 people converged in front of the hospital. They closed the road and burned tyres in order to show government and hospital management that they are serious about their demands. Often, when we protest in quieter ways, we get ignored. We have realised that we must engage in peaceful civil disobedience to get our voices heard. Yesterday, they refused to take us seriously. Burning tyres is a peaceful but active way for us to force government to negotiate with us when they think that they can just ignore us.

In reaction to our protest, the police arrived and began shooting people indiscriminately with rubber bullets. They have no also arrested approximately 6 residents who are now being held at the police station.

The government officials in charge of employment at the hospital has now agreed to meet with us at 3pm regarding our demands. However, before we can negotiate with him about jobs at the hospital, we demand the release of all protesters as they were engaged in peaceful acts of civil disobedience. They did not break the law by protesting and their actions are protected by the Constitution and the Gatherings Act.

For more information, contact Khaya at 0780241683

New Khayelitsha Hospital under threat: Residents vow to protest and will prevent employees from working on site tomorrow until t

Leave a reply

http://mpbackyarders.org.za/2012/01/08/new-khayelitsha-hospital-under-threat-residents-vow-to-protest-and-will-prevent-employees-from-working-on-site-tomorrow-until-their-grievances-are-heard/

New Khayelitsha Hospital under threat: Residents vow to protest and will prevent employees from working on site tomorrow until their grievances are heard!

8 January 2012
Press statement on behalf of Khayelitsha residents

From 6am tomorrow morning, Khayelitsha residents will be protesting outside the new Khayelitsha Hospital. Tonight, we will be mobilising to that effect. We have had enough! Kwanele!

The Community of Mandela Park (Ward 94 & 97) gathered this afternoon to find out the truth behind the devastating rumors regarding employment at the new Khayelitsha Hospital. Residents have accused Khayelitsha Development Forum (KDF) leadership and Ward Councillors of failing to give proper direction in terms of employment opportunities for the area. These politicians seem to only interested in grabbing available opportunities for themselves.

Why do we have to protest in order to be heard? Said one community member during the public meeting: “aren’t we supposed to get information directly from our leaders?”

It has become clear that the KDF and the local Ward Development Forums never held any public meetings concerning employment at the new hospital. Employers merely advertised job openings on extremely short notice after most of the positions had already been filled. As a result, the whole process was exclusionary and fraudulent.

Mandela Park residents are saying that the process was improper since they only heard about the employment opportunities in the newspaper on last minute. We should have been properly informed through local structures so that our cv’s did not merely end up in dustbins.

An insider who is already working at the hospital since last year told other residents at today’s meeting about official opening of the hospital and that an overwhelming number of employees were not from Khayelitsha but from other areas outside the township. Estimates are that only 2%-10% of employees are actually from Khayelitsha. Other groups are significantly overrepresented.

Residents said they want to go directly to the hospital management and hear for themselves why this is the case. We are unemployed and we have had enough of being lied to by politicians. We now want hospital officials and MEC for health to come and tell us what is going on.

The following are our demands:

  • We demand to know! Residents of Khayelitsha do not know anything about the Hospital. We have not been consulted. We know nothing about employment or anything else regarding the building and management of the place.
  • We demand consultation! We will prevent anyone from coming to work on-site until the officials come down and addressed us.
  • We demand the redo of the recruitment process allowing for a proper democratic process to unfold under the proper supervision of elected Khayelitsha community members.
  • We demand that at least 60% of employees be sourced from the area close to the hospital (including essential services) and the remainder source from around Khayelitsha.
  • We demand clarity as to why job vacancies seem to already have been filled before 229 jobs advertised in Cape Argus on the 08th November 2011 and the 329 jobs advertised on City Vision and Vukani.
  • We demand that the MEC for health address our grievances with immediate effect.

    See you outside Khayelitsha tomorrow morning. Kwanele! Enough is Genoeg!

    For more information contact:

    Mr. Xolani Krweqe 0711303477
    Mrs. Kulati 0730720618
    Mr. Sibongile Mhlahlo 0835112942

    • Enough, Genoeg, Kwanele! Backyarders in Solidarity with Abahlali baseKennedy Road

    Leave a reply

    Enough, Genoeg, Kwanele! Backyarders in Solidarity with Abahlali baseKennedy Road

    Backyarders Solidarity Statement – 19 July 2011

    Mandela Park Backyarders would like to congratulate Abahlali Basemjondolo for striking back against the government to free their comrades. Struggling for justice has proved to be packed with obstacles put before us by those we put in power through ballot paper.

    We will not longer shout and cry without action. The time to fold hands and watch our people being downplayed by greedy and cunning politicians should come to an end.

    We wish, that at today’s press conference, the voice of the poor and marginalised people of Abahlali Basemjondolo are able to transcend over that of oppressors and invoke courage to all to say Enough is Enough, is Genoeg, Kwanele!

    Contact: Loyiso – 073 7662078, Slu: 0714331101, Khaya: 0780241683