For more photos, click here
IOL photos of Symphony Way protesting after the court order
For more photos, click here
IOL photos of Symphony Way protesting after the court order
Tuesday 20 October 2009 – AbM Press Release
This addendum to yesterday’s press release was received late last night via cellphone text message from Reverend Mavuso Mbhekeseni. Please contact the Reverend for further details on the threats to the clergy, the chairperson of the AbM Women’s League and others, at the court yesterday.
The ANC mob was swearing at us in court saying that we are corrupt church leaders who support criminals. They threatened to catch us and kill us in the city. They said that they would describe us to all their people by the clothes we were wearing. They also threatened the chairperson of the AbM women’s league although she was not present at the court. They threatened her by name, shouted and swore at her name, and said that she is a “a thief who wears pants bought with the money from Kennedy Road people.” The ANC mob was armed with sticks and other sharp objects. They were highly intimidating and it was clear that their threats were serious – they meant what they were saying.
- Reverend Mavuso Mbhekeseni: 072 279 2634
We also need to note that some of the ANC mob threatened AbM people with knobkerries, that they also claimed to have bush knives in the bus and threatened to kill people leaving the court and that threatening sexual gestures were made against elderly AbM women. One of the mob also openly said that their plan, when they attacked the AbM Youth Camp at Kennedy Road, had been to kill S’bu Zikode. Read the rest of this entry »
Traders and Hawkers in Mitchells Plain Town Centre were given letters notifying them that by 1 November 2009 all structures and boxes should be removed. Traders were informed to collect their permits starting today, 20 October 2009, and on the 21st and 23rd for their new trading bays. This permit, although, will give the city the authority to evict any trader at any time. The permit system is a means to govern the traders. The traders of Mitchells Plain feel outraged by these conditions.
CHATA continues to fight for the rights of the traders and opposes the current permit system process as it adds to our continued marginalization.
CHATA’s deputy chairperson was also elected to be the Trustee for the Western Cape Traders Coalition, supported by StreetNet International.
For more information please contact: Mischka 073 128 6657 and/or Naiela 072 905 0779 and/or Yasmeen 084 287 5220
October 16, 2009 Edition 1 – Cape Times
ANEL LEWIS and MARY-ANNE GONTSANA
WITH hopes of finding an alternative to Blikkiesdorp dashed, members of the Symphony Way Anti-Eviction Campaign will today meet with the City of Cape Town about the terms of the relocation of people living illegally on the pavement in Delft.
But the community has indicated that a relocation as soon as Monday will not be possible until several conditions are in place. Read the rest of this entry »
MEDIATION efforts between the City of Cape Town and the pavement dwellers in Symphony Way in Delft have begun, with little progress being made.
The Cape High Court ruled the residents would have to move from the pavement to the temporary relocation area of Blikkiesdorp, but left the two parties to negotiate timeframes, dates, and how many would be moved at a time. Read the rest of this entry »
Backs to wall in Blikkiesdorp (Note: Police are trying to enforce an illegal 9pm curfew in Blikkiesdorp)
October 13, 2009 Edition 1 MARY-ANNE GONTSANASOMALIS warned by people in Blikkiesdorp to move out or face the wrath of the community, remain adamant that they want to leave South Africa.
“There has been no physical violence, but (the Somalis) report that they are being threatened and harassed daily,” said Charlene May, the group’s legal representative from the Legal Resources Centre (LRC). Read the rest of this entry »
Chantall Presence | 20 October 2009 | Eyewitness News
The Anti-eviction Campaign has vowed it would not give up on its fight to prevent pavement dwellers from being relocated to Blikkiesdorp. Read the rest of this entry »