Afrophobia: ‘Shut out and sent home’

31 10 2008
Pearlie Joubert
Oct 31 2008 at 13:27
Source: Mail & Guardian

Two foreign nationals were killed and a Congolese woman raped in townships in the Western Cape this week as the authorities prepared to close all the refugee camps on Friday. Services will be cut off to the 600 people who are still living in them.

But frantic last-minute negotiations between civil society groups and city officials, including Western Cape Premier Lynne Brown, were under way to halt the closure of the camps.

At the same time, the city, the Human Rights Commission and the United Nations were putting intensified pressure on foreign nationals to leave the camps and reintegrate themselves into society.

The Mail & Guardian has learned that after leaving the camps this week two foreigners were killed, in Hermanus and Parow, and that Congolese national Claudine Tuatu (not her real name) was raped in Khayelitsha’s Samora Machel settlement. Read the rest of this entry »





Media: Employ local people, say protesters

31 10 2008



Scores of protesters yesterday disrupted work at the construction site of the R350million “Guguletu Square” mall, demanding that the developers employ local residents.

The residents had earlier rejected a proposal by prominent local businessman and mall developer Mzoli Ngcawuzele that ANC ward councillors Andile Matshikiza and Belinda Landingwe choose the residents who will get jobs on the site.

Guguletu backyard dwellers leader Mcedisi Twalo said: “We don’t want interference by ward councilors and political parties in the job selection.”

Last week the local people marched on “Mzoli’s Place”, a restaurant owned by the same Ngcawuzele, calling on him to stop what they called “intimidation” against them.

This after Ngcawuzele had allegedly interrupted a community meeting and warned residents that former uMkhonto we Sizwe members were deployed at the development with security guards to prevent any form of protest that could delay construction.





Press Invite: MEC to attend Gugulethu mass meeting

30 10 2008
Gugulethu Anti-Eviction Campaign Press Invite
Friday 31 October, 2008

The residents of Gugulethu have at last managed to get a hold of the MEC for housing.  Even though we live in Whitey Jacobs’ backyard, he has refused to attend any of our weekly mass meetings at the Gugulethu Sports Complex.

Finally, he has agreed to meet with Gugulethu residents this Sunday, the 2 November 2008, at 14h00.  We expect him to be willing to engage with us and not use the meeting as a platform to campaign for next year’s elections.  We also expect him not to threaten us like he has in the past.

For comment, please call:

Speelman at 073 9825 725
Mncedisi at 078 5808 646




Media: No electricity, no vote, say protesters

30 10 2008

JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA Oct 30 2008 15:07

Johannesburg residents demonstrating for free basic electricity threatened on Thursday to boycott next year’s general election if their demands were not met.

“They are failing us, therefore no electricity, no vote, and no water, no vote,” Anti-Privatisation Forum spokesperson Silumko Radebe told a group of protesters outside Luthuli House in central Johannesburg.
Read the rest of this entry »





Press Alert: 90 year old lady to be evicted on Friday in Gugs

30 10 2008
Anti-Eviction Campaign Press Alert
October 30, 2008

The South African police and South African courts are protecting and defending the interests of the wealthy by evicting a 90 year old lady from her house in Gugulethu.

The Western Cape Anti-Eviction Campaign is assisting that family to resist this unjust, illegal and unconstitutional eviction by the banks. According to the South African Constitution and the PIE Act, the state must provide alternative accommodation for anyone evicted who has nowhere else to go.

The eviction will take place in the morning on Friday, the 31st of October, 2008. The community of Gugulethu will be in the streets and ready to help the old lady. We refuse to allow any of our elders to get thrown out onto the streets.

For more information and directions, please contact:

Speelman at 073 9825 725

Mncedisi at 078 5808 646





Good news, bad news; a carrot and some shotguns

30 10 2008

A few minutes after receiving news that they qualify for a housing subsidy, Symphony Way residents get terrorised by the police – again!

For photos and video, click here.

Delft Anti-Eviction Campaign Press Statement
30 October, 2008

What the City of Cape Town things about the poor

What the City of Cape Town things about the poor

Today, the Pavement Dwellers of Symphony Way finally met with Brian Denton, the deputy director of the Province’s subsidy registration for the Department of Housing. He confirmed that almost all Symphony residents qualify for a housing subsidy. Yet, despite this good news, residents were invaded by the city of Cape Town’s Land Invasions Unit and police who attempted to open a road that they had officially closed in February. They maintain that even though the road will remain closed, residents were not allowed to block the road. Read the rest of this entry »





The tanks roll in…

30 10 2008

For the AEC press release, click here.

Symphony Way terrorised by the police – again!

Our Word is Our Weapon: While the city of Cape Town intimidates residents with shotguns and tank-like vehicles, the people of Symphony Way respond with their words – and a round of applause.





Soldiarity: LPM Mass Action Against Evictions and the Demand for Free Basic Service Delivery

29 10 2008

Landless People’s Movement Press Release

Join Gauteng landless communities (Freedom Park, Protea Glen Bond Houses, Protea South Informal Settlement, Precast-Lenasia Extension 11, Chiawelo, Tembalihle Crisis Committee, Eldorado Park, Harry Gwala Informal Settlement)in a peaceful March demanding free basic services, the removal of the useless ward councillors and a halt to mass evictions.  On the 30th October 2008, the march will start at Peacemakers Ground in Protea South and then proceed to Old Potch road and Union Road to deliver a memorandum to the Premier of Gauteng Paul “Mathousand” Mashatile.

Even though the government of the African National Congress is happy about what it has achieved in the past 14 years of democracy in terms of service delivery, the challenges that are facing the poor are immense and the gap between the rich and poor is widening. It is common knowledge that South Africa is one of the most unequal societies in world where more than 50% of the population live below poverty line (less than R20.00 a day) and almost 40% of the people are unemployed. The ANC is proud to say that they have created more than three million members of a black middle class since 1994 but this is in contrast to more than 23 million who live in abject poverty.   Read the rest of this entry »





Solidarity: Earthlife Africa and APF March for Free Basic and Clean Electricity

28 10 2008

Press Release: March for Free Basic and Clean Electricity
Anti-Privatisation Forum, Earthlife Africa Jhb
28th of October 2008

On Thursday the 30th of October 2008, Earthlife Africa Jhb and the Anti-Privatisation Forum will be marching on the Department of Minerals & Energy, Eskom, and the City of Johannesburg. Communities across Gauteng are protesting to demand a decent, meaningful Free Basic Allocation of electricity and for increased generation of electricity from renewable resources.
Read the rest of this entry »





COHRE: Letter to Obed Mlaba on evictions in Siyanda

24 10 2008

The Honorable Cllr Obed Mlaba
Office of the Mayor of eThekwini
City Hall, West Street
Durban 4001
Republic of South Africa

Re: Forced relocation of shack-dwellers in Siyanda, KwaMashu

Dear Cllr Mlaba,

The Centre on Housing Rights and Evictions (COHRE) is an international human rights non-governmental organisation based in Geneva, Switzerland, with offices throughout the world. COHRE has consultative status with the United Nations and Observer Status with the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights. COHRE works to promote and protect the right to adequate housing for everyone, everywhere, including preventing or remedying forced evictions. Read the rest of this entry »








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