Media: Citing solidarity, evicted S. Africans refuse new homes

23 12 2008


Members of a campaign dedicated to securing homes for ousted residents of a Cape Town housing development dance the celebratory “toyi-toyi” — stomping their feet, clapping and singing — after helping one family find their new home in South Africa’s Delft township earlier this month. Five families belonging to the Symphony Way Anti-Eviction Campaign have received new homes, but say they will not move in until the other evicted families are housed.

While they’ve been given a house in Delft 7-9 by the government in Cape Town, Jolene Arendse and her family have decided that they won’t move in until all families living in makeshift homes on Symphony Way receive housing, too.

After months of often violent protests, five families belonging to the Symphony Way Anti-Eviction Campaign (AEC) received keys earlier this month to their new houses in Delft 7-9, a recently constructed residential development on the outskirts of Cape Town.

Accompanied by an entourage of 80 campaign members sporting red T-shirts bearing the slogan “No Land! No House! No Vote!”, the families found their way through a maze of nearly identical and unnumbered one- and two-story buildings.

After several false starts and wrong turns, the crowd soon found each family’s home. With wide smiles and shouts of excitement, each family christened their new home with water and a silent prayer.

“I’m glad that I received a house for the sake of my children,” said Ethel Abbels. “I’ve been on the waiting list for 17 years. I pray that everybody will get a house very soon.”

Roughly 10 months ago, these families were among thousands who illegally occupied unfinished houses belonging to a government-run N2 Gateway housing project in another part of Delft, a township on the edge of Cape Town. Alleging that they had been given permission to occupy the homes by their local councilor, these families also claimed that their actions reflected their desperate need for housing.

Like Abbels, nearly all the families that occupied the new project’s homes had been on the city of Cape Town’s waiting list for housing, many for more than a decade. While they waited, many rented makeshift shacks in the backyards of residents’ properties.

After two months of protests, court cases and mass meetings, Cape Town’s High Court authorized the eviction of the roughly 1,600 unlawful occupants of the N2 Gateway homes. Beginning at dawn on Feb. 19, police and private security moved from door to door, removing each family.

The scene quickly turned violent, as police began shooting into the gathering crowd of residents, pursuing them as they ran for cover and leaving 20 people wounded. Television cameras and news photographers captured the confrontation, with images reminiscent of the battles between police and anti-apartheid activists.

With their belongings confiscated by a police eviction team, residents were left on the sidewalk along Symphony Way, a main thoroughfare. Rather than dispersing, residents constructed housing for themselves and continued to demand that the city meet their housing needs. Protestors even blocked the road to emphasize their demands.

After a particularly cold and wet winter and a prolonged negotiations process, the first group of Symphony Way residents was able to get their keys. Part of the South African government’s “Breaking New Ground” housing policy, each low-income house was built using a government subsidy provided to each qualifying family.

While acknowledging the happiness of the moment, the recipients of the new houses remained critical of the government’s failure to provide homes for all 127 families still living on Symphony Way. Some have even, in a show of solidarity, refused to accept their new houses, citing the agreement they made after their mass eviction to move into their new homes as a community.

“I am very happy, as I have finally received a house,” said Alfred Arnolds. “But on the other hand, for all the time I am waiting, I am not going to stay in this house until everyone on Symphony Way [receives] their houses. This is how I feel due to the mandate we undertook to move together.”

Jolene Ardense isn’t moving in yet, either.

“The reason why I’m not moving into the house is because of the mandate that we took in the beginning of our struggle that everyone will move together,” she said.

The official statement of the Western Cape Anti-Eviction Campaign, the Cape Town-based social movement that has helped to organize the residents of Symphony Way and other squatter camps, echoed these concerns.

“Despite this small victory, each of the five families remain unsatisfied,” the statement reads. “They want their own house, but they do not want their own house if all their brothers and sisters on Symphony Way do not get their own houses as well.

“… As a result, each family has decided that they will not abandon their community on Symphony Way,” the statement continues. “Instead, they have undertaken to hang their keys up in the community office and make a commitment to not leave Symphony Way until every single family on the road is allocated a house.”

Organizers say the sense of solidarity grew out of personal relationships and various community programs developed in the wake of the mass evictions. Residents have had to rely on each other for essentials like building materials, child care and firewood.

While they wait for homes, Symphony Way residents continue to face police harassment. Five officers from the Delft police station last Wednesday threatened a local community organizer and assaulted two visiting Americans, then returned an hour later to arrest a Symphony Way resident for swearing at a police officer and malicious destruction to property.

These assaults fit a pattern of police abuse following the initial mass evictions. Since Feb. 19 of this year, there have been more than 10 such incidents, including the pepper-spraying of this reporter on June 29, 2008.





Media: Families in act of solidarity over homes

13 12 2008

Great article in the Cape Argus on December 11, 2008

See the AEC press statement on this action of solidarity

symphony-families-in-solidarity

symphony-families-in-solidarity





Five families from Symphony Way get their keys but refuse to move into their house

8 12 2008
Delft Anti-Eviction Campaign Press Release
Monday 8 December, 2008

Today five Symphony Way Anti-Eviction Campaign families received their keys to their new houses in Delft 7-9. When on their way to inspecting their new houses, they were accompanied by about 80 other pavement dwellers who celebrated this exciting day. Each house was christened by friends dousing each family in water and then followed by a silent prayer in each of the five houses.

But despite this small victory, each of the five families remain unsatisfied. They want their own house, but they do not want their own house if all their brothers and sisters on Symphony Way do not get their own houses as well.

As the Symphony Way AEC, we realise that giving houses to only some of the families and not others is an attempt by the government to undermine the 10 month long protest that has included the occupation and blockade of Symphony Way. We demand an explanation as to why the MEC has reneged on a promise to allocate a percentage of houses to Symphony Way Pavement Dwellers who qualify.

As a result, each family has decided that they will not abandon their community on Symphony Way. Instead, they have undertaken to hang their keys up in the community office and make a commitment to not leave Symphony Way until every single family on the road is allocated a house.

For more information, please contact Ashraf at 408 and Jane 302

For more pictures, click here.

For a video of Brother Alfred Arnold’s commitment, click here.

For high quality pictures, email AEC webmaster.

Below are the statements by each family (the fifth family was not present because of a personal emergency but has agreed to hang up their keys as well).

Alfred Arnolds and his family in their new home

Alfred Arnolds and his family in their new home

I am very happy, as from today, 8th of December, I have received a house…but on the other hand, for all the time I am waiting, I am not going to stay in this house until everyone on Symphony Way are receiving their houses. This is how I feel due to the mandate we undertook to move together. I confirm today that I will remain on Symphony Way. Aluta Continua!

- Brother Alfred Arnolds

Ethel Abels and her daugther in front of their new home

Ethel Abels and her daugther in front of their new home

Ek is bly dat ek ń huis gekry, dat my kinders kan imbly. Nadat ek vir 17 jaar rondgebly het. Ek bid vir die ander mense wat nog op die pad bly dat hulle so gou as moontlile ook in hul huise sal wees.

I’m glad that I received a house for the sake of my children, I’ve been on the waiting list for 17 years, I pray that everybody will get a house very soon

- Ethel Abels

Jolene Arendse and her family in front of their new house

Jolene Arendse and family in front of their new house

Die reck hoekom ek nie in die huis gaan trek nie, is omolat ek voel om met almal die anders van die pad af te gaan. Want ons mandate was so gesê van die begin tot die einde.

The reason why I’m not moving into the house is because of the mandate that we took in the beginning of our struggle that everyone will move together.

Amandla!

- Jolene & Lewellyn Arendse

Theresa Boesak in front of her new home

Theresa Boesak in front of her new home

Ek Theresa Boesak besluit om nie uit Symphony uit te trek nie totdat almal van die pad af beweeg. Ek sal my sleutels in die kantoor op haner totdat ows almal huise gaan kry.

I Theresa Boesak undertake not to move out of Symphony Way until everybody move. I will hang up my keys in the office until everybody move.

Amandla!
Forward Comrades.

- Theresa Boesak

Gloria Rudolf in front of her unoccupied house

Gloria Rudolf in front of her unoccupied house

Ek is Dankbaar vir die Huis maar. ek het besluit ek gaan bly hier met almal totdat een en ekeen ook huise gaan kry. Ek sal bid dat hulle vir almal goner huise sal gee

I am very grateful for the house but I have decided that I am going to stay here iwth everyone until each & everyone has received a house. I pray that they will give everyone soon houses.

- Gloria Rudolf





Video: Brother Alfred Arnolds explains why he is refusing to move into his new house

8 12 2008

Brother Alfred Arnolds and his family have refused to move into his new house. He explains that he has made a commitment to everyone on Symphony Way that he will continue to occupy the road with them until the last family has received the keys to their house.

For more information about the families’ refusal to move into the houses, click here





Photos: Five families from Symphony Way get their keys but refuse to move into their house

8 12 2008
(1) Gathering in Symphony Way

(1) Gathering in Symphony Way

(2) Looking for the houses

(2) Looking for the houses

Read the rest of this entry »





Solidarity ~ Foreclosure Nation: Squatters or Pioneers?

2 12 2008

News: Take Back the Land installs homeless families in foreclosed Miami-Dade County properties. Here’s what the neighbors think.

Above Video: Take Back the Land’s Umoja Village Shantytown

Mamyrah Prosper steps gingerly over ankle-high grass strewn with plastic bags and empty soda bottles in the yard of a vacant redbrick house in Miami’s Liberty City. She peers through a gap in a boarded-up window. “It looks in good shape,” she says. “I mean, the walls aren’t falling down. This is definitely one of our stronger options.” Read the rest of this entry »





Solidarity: Piketberg protest against eviction of farm families

20 11 2008
By Yamkela Xhaso
19 November
Source: Bush Radio

The community of the rural community of Piketberg will embark on a strike protesting against the eviction of families that live on farms.

This is after the ninth eviction so far, where Michael Morobi, his sick wife as well as their two small children.

The Right to Agrarian Reform for Food Sovereignty Campaign spokesperson Andre Titus said this protest is inspired by the De Doorns protests and that those people who live in farms their whole lives revolve around the farms.

Titus said that this was not fair and they do not and it is not right.

“Since 1994 we believed that people must not be treated like animals”

Titus says they want to show Michael that they support him
during the protest and release a memorandum to the local government, justice department, department of land affairs and the municipality.

“It is unacceptable that evictions still happen in the area”

Contact Andries Titus for more information on





UK Media: Protesters camp out in homes plea

13 11 2008
Problems of Neoliberal and anti-poor housing policies transcend borders
Friday, 31 October 2008
Source: BBC
The protesters have been squatting on council-owned land

Protesters have said they are prepared to camp out for months in an effort to force Birmingham City Council to build more affordable homes.

A group of protesters have begun squatting on council-owned land off Pershore Road in Birmingham.

They said they were among thousands in the city on waiting lists for social housing. Read the rest of this entry »





Photos: An Italian flavoured Braai and drum circle on Symphony Way

12 11 2008

On the 1st of November, Symphony Way Pavement Dwellers hosted a group of mostly international students who came to show their solidarity with the residents and have dinner with them here on the road.  Below, you will find some pictures of the braai and drum circle.  We had a lot of fun especially the children who had a dance contest in front of our giant bonfire.

Italian Braai on Symphony - 1

Italian Braai on Symphony - 1

Italian Braai on Symphony Way - 2

Italian Braai on Symphony Way - 2

Italian Braai on Symphony Way - 3

Italian Braai on Symphony Way - 3





Gugs: 93 year old woman stays put, say the people

6 11 2008

06/11/2008 at 11:03 AM
MICHAEL NKALANE
Source: City Vision

RESIDENTS of Guguletu spent last Friday camping at a 93-year-old woman’s house. In huge numbers they showed solidarity against the suspected “eviction” of gogo Nothemba Booysen as a result of what they allege is illegal selling of her house.

According to residents this came after a backyard dweller packed his own belongings claiming to have heard that the “new owner” was coming. Read the rest of this entry »