time to march.

Abahlali baseMjondolo has just issued a press release about an upcoming poor people's march. They are estimating about 20,000 people will participate. It's going to happen 2 days before the scheduled elections here, and a march permit has not been granted. In fact, it seems like the city manager is saying [as he has in the past] that Abahlali's march will be considered illegal, and that they've not filled out the right forms to request a march [Abahlali has the right forms]. It's actually illegal for him not to permit the march.

Abahlali is organizing a lot of allies to march, as well as taxi companies to help assist people getting down to the city centre. People are also talking about walking to town to take part.

here's the english version of the press release:

Shack Dwellers’ March
27 February 2006

Hawu! Hawu!

No House! No Land! No Vote!
Ayikho indlu! Awukho umhlaba! Alikho ivote!

WHEN: 8:00a.m. Monday 27 February 2006

WHERE: The march will start at Botha Park and will proceed to the city hall where our demands will be presented to Mike Mabuyakhulu.

WHY: Why are people marching in their thousands? We need answers to our questions about housing * when, how, where and how many houses do they plan to build? The government must give us proof because they have been telling us lies for a long time.

ORGANIZERS: The shack dwellers of this world. We invite all other poor people everywhere to join us and say “enough is enough!”

SUPPORTERS: This march is also supported by, and will include representatives from organisations outside of ward 25 including the Banana City Informal Settlement Area Committee; the Bayview Flats Residents' Association; the Combined Staff Association (UKZN); Eastwood Community Forum (‘Maritzburg), Groundwork; the Mandela Park Anti-eviction Campaign (Cape Town); the Right to Work Campaign; the Socialist Students' Movement (UKZN); the Sydenham Heights Flats Resident’s Association; eThekweni Eco-peace Party; the eThekweni Social Forum; the Wentworth Development Forum and the Westcliff Flat Residents' Association as well as people from Cato Crest, KwaMashu, eMandeni, Umlazi, the Eastern Cape and Jo’burg.

FOR COMMENT AND FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. S’bu Zikode 083 5470474, Mr. Philani Zungu 0729629312; Miss Fikile Nkosi 0842501446; Mr. Mnikelo Ndanbankulu 0735656241; Miss Thandi Khambule 0720979136; Mr. Moses Mncwango 0762250260, Mr. Chazumuzi Ngcobo 0722796588, Mr. M’du Hlongwa 0723358966, Mr. Lungisani Jama 0737634967


The Shack Dwellers’ Struggle

Many promises to people living in shacks have been broken. Across South Africa shack dwellers have been blocking roads and saying ‘Enough!’ There were more than 6000 protests last year. In Durban, in Wards 23 and 25, thousands of people marched on councillors Yacoob Baig and Jayraj Bachu to demand that promises to provide land, housing and basic services like water, electricity and toilets be kept. People have also been marching against plans to move shack dwellers out of the city to rural places like Verulum far away from work, schools, clinics and police stations. The media have understood that people are suffering and have supported the marches very strongly. Other struggling communities have also offered strong support.

We cannot continue to suffer like this. The time has come to say “Enough!” and to demand that the promises made to us be kept. The time has now come to march on Mike Mabuyakhulu. We must tell Mabuyakhulu that if we don’t get satisfactory answers to the questions that we have asked about land, houses and basic services then we will not vote in the elections.

THEY ARE SELLING US!
BATHENGISA NGATH!

ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!
SEKWANELE! SEKWANELE!

NO LAND, NO HOUSE, NO VOTE!
Ayikho indlu! Awukho umhlaba! Alikho ivote!

***
the only press regarding the beating of S'bu by a police officer outside the SABC debate last weekend has been by Richard Pithouse, on indymedia south africa's front page. see his account here.

Also, Raj has an editorial that should be published this coming Sunday about it, so as soon as it's available i'll get a link to it up. Here is a piece from the end:

"...Mike Sutcliffe last week banned yet another request to march. The reason? An incorrect form had been submitted. This is a little aggravating for Lungisani Jama to hear – he completed and presented the appropriate form at the Mayor’s offices two weeks ago, but they wouldn’t accept it, telling him to fill out a different (and incorrect) one.

"This behaviour from city officials, the SAPS and the SABC has a rather concerted flavour to it. With the best faith in the world, it’s hard not to see something systematic about the repression of Durban’s poorest residents. Were this 1991, we’d know what words to use to describe this kind of repression – for the tactics are the same now as they were then.

"Abbie Hoffman, the American critic and activist observed, that “You measure democracy by the freedom it gives its dissidents, not the freedom it gives its assimilated conformists.” A democracy needs an independent media, and a police force not beholden to its politicians. The actions of Mike Sutcliffe, the Mayor, the SABC and the SAPS have an awful orchestration to them, pointing to only one conclusion - South African democracy gives its dissidents little comfort. And without these freedoms, without genuine democracy, we can add two further certainties to our opening list. Without freedom to dissent, the 2006 municipal elections in South Africa can be considered neither free nor fair."