The Kennedy Thirteen were back at court on Friday for their 6th attempt at requesting bail. After two months in detention all charges were dropped against one of the thirteen, six were given bail and the other five were remanded in custody to give the police one more chance to bring some evidence against them to the court. The next court date has been set for 11 December 2009. This will be the 7th opportunity given to the police to provide some evidence of guilt.
As usual Jackson Gumede and Yakoob Baig were at the court and openly advising the prosecution. Gumede is the chairperson of the Branch Executive Committee of the ANC in Ward 25 and the man who seized control of the Kennedy Road settlement on 27th September 2009. Baig is the ANC Councillor for Ward 25 who said that 'harmony' had been restored after the attack on AbM. He was also at the settlement on 27th September and they both stood by while the homes of the Kennedy Road Development Committee and well known Abahlali baseMjondolo members were systematically demolished. Since the ANC seized control of the settlement extreme intimidation has continued in the settlement, including death threats and threats to demolish more people's homes. In fact another home was demolished yesterday, on Sunday 30 November. It is a crime to threaten to kill people if they are suspected of not supporting your political party. It is also a crime to demolish someone's house if they are suspected of not supporting your political party. But these crimes are not investigated. No one is arrested. It is clear that these crimes are carried out with the full support of the local police and the local ANC. Baig and Gumede are, at the very least, complicit with the ongoing and criminal political intimidation in the Kennedy Road settlement. Yet they are able to advise the prosecution. It is clear that the police and the court are there for the ANC and not for the people.
Source: abahlali baseMjondolo
Showing posts with label Kennedy Road settlement. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kennedy Road settlement. Show all posts
Monday, November 30, 2009
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Kennedy Road truth being hidden
African National Congress (ANC) stalwart and transport, community safety and liaison MEC Willies Mchunu has been sending out many press statements and holding a number of press conferences lately. The recurrent theme is that there is some sinister “forum” associated with Abahlali base Mjondolo president Sbu Zikode and that it was this “forum” that carried out the recent mob attacks in the Kennedy Road settlement in Durban, which killed at least four people and displaced as many as a thousand others.The truth is that no such forum has ever existed at Kennedy Road, and that the term only began to be used after the MEC sent out a press statement on the 28th blaming the “forum” for the attacks. Instead of some forum, what existed before the attacks was the elected Kennedy Road Development Committee and its many subcommittees, including the safety and security committee. But this subcommittee was elected and it was not terrorising community members. Instead, this committee was carrying out the mandate of the concerned majority of Kennedy Road who wanted the illegal shebeens to close at 10pm rather than go on for 24 hours. I know that no sinister forum existed because I lived in Kennedy Road for weeks. I myself have had to listen to music blaring at 3am and worry about night-time shack fires caused by drunken patrons. After talking to numerous residents this past week, I can only conclude that Mchunu is either misinformed or straight-out lying — and that the eight people arrested this past week were innocent Abahlali leaders, many of whom were victims in the recent attacks.
It is obvious to anyone who has spent a lot of time at Kennedy Road and has spoken to the community itself that the MEC’s story makes no sense and that the only real explanation for the attacks was that they were orchestrated by the local branch of the ANC. It also follows that the MEC is either hiding this or was involved in the attacks in the first place. The MEC has demanded that the leaders of Abahlali baseMjondolo come to Kennedy Road for a meeting with “stakeholders”. However, many people I know have been told that if they return to Kennedy Road, they will be killed. How can people be expected to attend a meeting called by the very people who want them dead?
The only way out of this impasse is for the national government to call an independent investigation. This has already been demanded by more than 20 civil society organisations, but has been refused by the MEC.
Jared Sacks
Executive Director, Children of SA
Source: Business Day
Thursday, October 1, 2009
South Africa's Poor Targeted by Evictions, Attacks in Advance of 2010 World Cup Democracy Now
Thousands of South Africans are being displaced in preparation for the 2010 World Cup. While Durban completes the finishing touches on its new stadium, thousands of the citys poor who live in sprawling informal settlements are threatened with eviction. On Saturday, an armed gang of some 40 men attacked an informal settlement on Durbans Kennedy Road killing at least two people and destroying 30 shacks. We speak to two South African activists who are fighting back.
Source: Democracy Now
Source: Democracy Now
Monday, September 28, 2009
Violent mob attacks at Kennedy Road settlement target leaders of Abahlali baseMjondolo
In the early morning hours of September 27th, 2009 an armed mob of about 40 men unleashed a night of intimidation and terror at the Kennedy Road shack settlement in Durban, South Africa. The mob was armed with guns and bush knives and was calling out the names of the President and Vice President of the Abahlali baseMjondolo movement, threatening them with death. In the morning 3 were dead, many injured and over 1,000 of the residents fled the settlement with all they could carry.
Source: You Tube
Source: You Tube
Police task team for Kennedy Road on cards after weekend killings
The KwaZulu-Natal provincial government has moved swiftly to liberate a Durban community (Kennedy Road) that had been placed on an illegal curfew, wherein residents had been forced to stop watching television, walking or cooking after seven at night.
Matters came to head at the weekend when a group of men brandishing an assortment of weapons including assegais, knobkerries, spears and guns attacked and killed two people. Scores of others were injured.
The MEC for Transport, Community Safety and Liaison, Willies Mchunu visited the area yesterday. Mchunu directed that the South African Police (SAPS) provincial commissioner and the provincial Department of Community Safety and Liaison meet with the community (today) and find the root cause of the problems that led to the killing.
At a meeting held today, community members made impassioned pleas to the multi-agency provincial government team to liberate them from the clutches of a structure simple known as The Forum. Community members told the provincial team that The Forum had placed them under an illegal curfew. They also told the team of assaults, intimidation, and how a community hall had been hijacked. They also alleged that The Forum were responsible for the weekend attack. The Forum apparently has links with the chairperson of Abantu Basemjondolo [sic], Sbu Zikode
The KwaZulu-Natal provincial government team comprised of, the Deputy Provincial Commissioner, Bongani Ntanjana, Head of Department of Community Safety and Liaison, Yasmin Bacus, eThekwini Councillors, Yacoob Baig (ward 25) and Nelisiwe Nyanisa, eThekwini municipality Head of Community Participation Mina Lesoma, Senior Superintendent Msomi of Metro Police, Holson Mbhele of the Community Safety and Liaison Department, he is the Community Liaison Officer for eThekwini, Ishmael Nxumalo, the Director for Provincial Community Policing at the Department of Community Safety and Liaison.
At the meeting today, it was agreed as follows:
* The provincial commissioner’s office will set up a special police task team to hunt down the killers responsible for the weekend mayhem
* The Forum has no official standing, and shall disband
* The Department of Community Safety and Liaison through its head of community policing is to meet with all community structures including The Forum so as to set up a properly recognised community policing structure and encourage dialogue
* That, an illegal curfew is lifted with immediate effect
* That, Kennedy Road informal settlement is placed under 24 hour policing by teams from the Public Order Policing unit, and the Durban Metro Police,
* eThekwini municipality is to investigate ways of improving lighting in the area that may include installing flood lights
* eThekwini municipality shall without delay clear bushes and plantation that may impinge the work of police
* All crimes shall be reported to the new special task team
* A special focus will be placed on proliferation of illegal taverns. All legal taverns shall operate within the law including operating hours.
MEC Willies Mchunu said: “We condemn the killing of our people. It is absurd for any one to impose an illegal curfew on residents. We want to assure all Kennedy Road residents that, we stand ready to defend their freedoms including their right to freedom of association and the freedom of movement. Criminals, who are holding the Kennedy Road resident’s hostage, must be arrested without delay.
We want all Kennedy Road residents to be as free as any other citizen in a democratic society. All challenges in the community shall be addressed through dialogue within properly constituted community structures.
We have directed that the Department of Community Safety and Liaison through its Communities in Dialogue Programme shall assist the Kennedy Road residents to talk and solve all problems peacefully, in the meantime, police will be deployed in greater numbers, and killers hunted down.”
Deputy Commissioner Bongani Ntanjana said: “We want the community to know that as of today, they are free to walk, cook, and watch television as they so desire. No curfew. No forum has any authority to dictate how this community ought to live. Police are here to ensure your freedom of movement and association. Killers will be hunted down and jailed.”
Source: Department of Transport, Community Safety and Liaison, KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Government
Matters came to head at the weekend when a group of men brandishing an assortment of weapons including assegais, knobkerries, spears and guns attacked and killed two people. Scores of others were injured.
The MEC for Transport, Community Safety and Liaison, Willies Mchunu visited the area yesterday. Mchunu directed that the South African Police (SAPS) provincial commissioner and the provincial Department of Community Safety and Liaison meet with the community (today) and find the root cause of the problems that led to the killing.
At a meeting held today, community members made impassioned pleas to the multi-agency provincial government team to liberate them from the clutches of a structure simple known as The Forum. Community members told the provincial team that The Forum had placed them under an illegal curfew. They also told the team of assaults, intimidation, and how a community hall had been hijacked. They also alleged that The Forum were responsible for the weekend attack. The Forum apparently has links with the chairperson of Abantu Basemjondolo [sic], Sbu Zikode
The KwaZulu-Natal provincial government team comprised of, the Deputy Provincial Commissioner, Bongani Ntanjana, Head of Department of Community Safety and Liaison, Yasmin Bacus, eThekwini Councillors, Yacoob Baig (ward 25) and Nelisiwe Nyanisa, eThekwini municipality Head of Community Participation Mina Lesoma, Senior Superintendent Msomi of Metro Police, Holson Mbhele of the Community Safety and Liaison Department, he is the Community Liaison Officer for eThekwini, Ishmael Nxumalo, the Director for Provincial Community Policing at the Department of Community Safety and Liaison.
At the meeting today, it was agreed as follows:
* The provincial commissioner’s office will set up a special police task team to hunt down the killers responsible for the weekend mayhem
* The Forum has no official standing, and shall disband
* The Department of Community Safety and Liaison through its head of community policing is to meet with all community structures including The Forum so as to set up a properly recognised community policing structure and encourage dialogue
* That, an illegal curfew is lifted with immediate effect
* That, Kennedy Road informal settlement is placed under 24 hour policing by teams from the Public Order Policing unit, and the Durban Metro Police,
* eThekwini municipality is to investigate ways of improving lighting in the area that may include installing flood lights
* eThekwini municipality shall without delay clear bushes and plantation that may impinge the work of police
* All crimes shall be reported to the new special task team
* A special focus will be placed on proliferation of illegal taverns. All legal taverns shall operate within the law including operating hours.
MEC Willies Mchunu said: “We condemn the killing of our people. It is absurd for any one to impose an illegal curfew on residents. We want to assure all Kennedy Road residents that, we stand ready to defend their freedoms including their right to freedom of association and the freedom of movement. Criminals, who are holding the Kennedy Road resident’s hostage, must be arrested without delay.
We want all Kennedy Road residents to be as free as any other citizen in a democratic society. All challenges in the community shall be addressed through dialogue within properly constituted community structures.
We have directed that the Department of Community Safety and Liaison through its Communities in Dialogue Programme shall assist the Kennedy Road residents to talk and solve all problems peacefully, in the meantime, police will be deployed in greater numbers, and killers hunted down.”
Deputy Commissioner Bongani Ntanjana said: “We want the community to know that as of today, they are free to walk, cook, and watch television as they so desire. No curfew. No forum has any authority to dictate how this community ought to live. Police are here to ensure your freedom of movement and association. Killers will be hunted down and jailed.”
Source: Department of Transport, Community Safety and Liaison, KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Government
'Attackers associated with ANC'
Local and international academics on Monday condemned attacks on a Durban informal settlement which claimed two lives and saw 30 shacks destroyed at the weekend. "We note with concern the reports of the violent attacks on members of the Abahlali baseMjondolo Movement (ABM) in the Kennedy Road informal settlement," said academics in a joint statement. Two people were fatally assaulted and stabbed, and scores were injured when about 40 men carrying assegais, knobkerries, spears and guns attacked them.They attacked the settlement during a youth camp held by the Abahlali baseMjondolo (ABM) movement. Academics, who included Toussaint Losier of the University of Chicago, said the attacks were reportedly carried out by "people associated with the local branch of the ANC". The ANC was not immediately available to comment. Other academics who signed the petition included Steven Friedman, the director for the Centre for Democracy at the University of Johannesburg, and Henrike Donner of the London School of Economics and Political Science.
The academics also alleged that the attackers were actively supported by officers of the SA Police Service, a claim that police denied. "We note reports that the officers of the Sydenham Police Station were complicit in these attacks, were present at the scene, and did nothing to stop them," academics saidThey said ABM was a peaceful and internationally respected community-based organisation which worked to improve the living conditions of the shack dwellers.
ABM had also written a letter to President Jacob Zuma detailing how its members were attacked. "Reports from the informal settlement of seven thousand people indicate that horrors reminiscent of apartheid's darkest years are currently being perpetrated," the letter read. ABM said "thugs" had killed members of the local development committee and destroyed their houses.The letter states that the attackers uttered slogans such as:"The AmaMpondo are taking over Kennedy. Kennedy is for the AmaZulu". "With these words of hate, members of the development committee have been hunted and, in at least one case, killed. What appals us most about these attacks is that they appear to be happening with the support of local police and politicians."
By 18:30 on Monday, said KwaZulu-Natal police spokesperson Director Phindile Radebe, the situation was calm around the area where the attack took place. "We have deployed our members there to monitor the situation."
Source: News 24
Sunday, September 27, 2009
The ANC Turns to Fascim in Durban
Abahlali baseMjondolo leaders have been subject to well organised violent attacks since last year. Now the movement has been attacked in a surprise ambush. At least three people are dead.
Last night at about 11:30 a group of about 40 heavily armed men attacked the Abahlali baseMjondolo office in the Kennedy Road settlement where the movement was holding an all night camp for the Youth League. The men who attacked were shouting: 'The AmaMpondo are taking over Kennedy. Kennedy is for the AmaZulu.” Some people were killed. We can't yet say exactly how many. Some are saying that three people are dead. Some are saying that five people are dead. Some people are also very seriously injured. The attackers broke everything that they could.
The Sydenham police were called but they did not come. This has led some people to conclude that this was a carefully planned attack on the movement and that the police knew in advance that it had been planned and stayed away on purpose. Why else would the police refuse to come when they are being called while people are being openly murdered? When the attack happened one officer from Crime Intelligence was there in plain clothes. This morning the police arrived under the authority of Glen Nayager and made arrests. As far as we can tell only members of the Kennedy Road Development Committee (KRDC) have been arrested. If this is true it indicates clearly that the police are part of this attack on the movement. It also seems that the police are only taking statements from the people that attacked us! Some of the people that they have arrested were not even at Kennedy Road when we were attacked. These arrests feel to us like the Kennedy Six scandal all over again.
We believe that this attack has been planned and organised by Gumede, from the Lacy Road settlement, who is the head of the Branch Executive Committee of the local ANC. There has never been political freedom in Lacy Road. Since 2005 we have been told that anyone wearing the red shirt of Abahlali baseMjondolo in Lacy Road will be killed. But anyone can wear any shirt of any politics that they like in our settlements. You will see COPE, ANC and SACP shirts in our settlements. We are democracts. Our politics is a politics of open and free discussion - not violence and intimidation. This is not the first time that our movement has been attacked. Last year both Mzonke Poni, head of AbM in the Western Cape, and S'bu Zikode, head of AbM in KwaZulu-Natal, were attacked and seriously beaten by well organised and mysterious groups of young men. These attacks happened a few days apart. The men who attacked Zikode also said that he was selling Kennedy to the AmaMpondo. Some time after the attacks on Mzonke and S'bu Mashumi Figland, Deputy President of Abahlali baseMjondolo and Chairperson of the Kennedy Road Development Committee, was also attacked and seriously beaten. Again the attack was very well organised and carried out by a mysterious group of young men. During the attack Mashumi, who is Xhosa, was told that the AmaMpondo must leave Durban and go back to the Eastern Cape.
Gumede, head of the local BEC of the ANC, has been trying by all means to undermine the movement for many years. He has failed. Every year we have open elections in Kennedy Road and ever year people vote for Abahlali baseMjondolo. We believe that Gumede, with the support of ward councillor Yakoob Baig, has tried to build a coalition against the movement in order to attack it violently. This coalition is now a milita. They have found 3 types of people that want to attack the movement:
1. People who want to follow an ethnic politics: The movement accepts all shack dwellers on an equal basis. We do not care where a person was born or what language they speak. This has caused those who want an ethnic politics to oppose us.
2. Criminals: We have a Safety & Security committee and we have been working to get the criminals out of our settlement. In recent months we have been working very well with the local police to get them arrested. We have also put a time limit on the shebeens saying that they must close at 10:00 p.m. so that people can sleep properly and that there is no violence, especially violence against women, when people get too drunk. The criminals and some shebeen owners do not like what the movement is doing to make the settlement safe for everybody.
3. People who want Gumede's patronage: Every time the movement wins a small victory, like getting toilets built or even cleaned, Gumede tries to ensure that the jobs go only to his people. We are opposed to development becoming misused for party politics. The people who want to get Gumede's jobs are also unhappy with what we are doing.
The next Kennedy Road AGM is coming soon. Once again the people of Kennedy Road can vote for ever they want to represent them. The people who attacked us last night do not want democracy. If they felt that they had support they could just have waited for the AGM and put up candidates. What Gumede, and Baig are doing is not just an attack on Abahlali baseMjondolo. It is also an attack on democracy. They have now set set up a militia to destroy the movement. We have no armed wing. We have never attacked anyone. Our politics is a politics of open meetings and popular democracy. It is a politics of debating and discussing together. The politics that is being used to attack us is a politics of war. We see no difference between what is being done to us and what the apartheid regime did with the Witdoeke in the shack settlements in Cape Town in the 1980s.
After what has happened many people are saying to us that they do not trust the police. They are asking for the army to be sent in as the army might be neutral. As we write the attacks and threats continue. We are under attack. We are not armed. Gumede and his militia are not just a threat to us and our community. They are a threat to democracy in South Africa. It is very clear that democracy is under attack. As we are sending this statement a helicopter and many more police officers are arriving. We hope that they will be neutral and follow the law – not Gumede's politics of war. But as far as we can tell the police that are here are just looking for statements against the KRDC - those who were ambushed in the night! The violence is continuing. Gumede's people are saying that if Mashumi Figlan returns to Kennedy he will be killed. We do not have confidence that he and others will be protected by the police.
Things are still confused. If there are any errors in this statement we will correct them when we can talk to everyone safely and send out a more detailed statement.
Source: anarkismo.net
Last night at about 11:30 a group of about 40 heavily armed men attacked the Abahlali baseMjondolo office in the Kennedy Road settlement where the movement was holding an all night camp for the Youth League. The men who attacked were shouting: 'The AmaMpondo are taking over Kennedy. Kennedy is for the AmaZulu.” Some people were killed. We can't yet say exactly how many. Some are saying that three people are dead. Some are saying that five people are dead. Some people are also very seriously injured. The attackers broke everything that they could.
The Sydenham police were called but they did not come. This has led some people to conclude that this was a carefully planned attack on the movement and that the police knew in advance that it had been planned and stayed away on purpose. Why else would the police refuse to come when they are being called while people are being openly murdered? When the attack happened one officer from Crime Intelligence was there in plain clothes. This morning the police arrived under the authority of Glen Nayager and made arrests. As far as we can tell only members of the Kennedy Road Development Committee (KRDC) have been arrested. If this is true it indicates clearly that the police are part of this attack on the movement. It also seems that the police are only taking statements from the people that attacked us! Some of the people that they have arrested were not even at Kennedy Road when we were attacked. These arrests feel to us like the Kennedy Six scandal all over again.
We believe that this attack has been planned and organised by Gumede, from the Lacy Road settlement, who is the head of the Branch Executive Committee of the local ANC. There has never been political freedom in Lacy Road. Since 2005 we have been told that anyone wearing the red shirt of Abahlali baseMjondolo in Lacy Road will be killed. But anyone can wear any shirt of any politics that they like in our settlements. You will see COPE, ANC and SACP shirts in our settlements. We are democracts. Our politics is a politics of open and free discussion - not violence and intimidation. This is not the first time that our movement has been attacked. Last year both Mzonke Poni, head of AbM in the Western Cape, and S'bu Zikode, head of AbM in KwaZulu-Natal, were attacked and seriously beaten by well organised and mysterious groups of young men. These attacks happened a few days apart. The men who attacked Zikode also said that he was selling Kennedy to the AmaMpondo. Some time after the attacks on Mzonke and S'bu Mashumi Figland, Deputy President of Abahlali baseMjondolo and Chairperson of the Kennedy Road Development Committee, was also attacked and seriously beaten. Again the attack was very well organised and carried out by a mysterious group of young men. During the attack Mashumi, who is Xhosa, was told that the AmaMpondo must leave Durban and go back to the Eastern Cape.
Gumede, head of the local BEC of the ANC, has been trying by all means to undermine the movement for many years. He has failed. Every year we have open elections in Kennedy Road and ever year people vote for Abahlali baseMjondolo. We believe that Gumede, with the support of ward councillor Yakoob Baig, has tried to build a coalition against the movement in order to attack it violently. This coalition is now a milita. They have found 3 types of people that want to attack the movement:
1. People who want to follow an ethnic politics: The movement accepts all shack dwellers on an equal basis. We do not care where a person was born or what language they speak. This has caused those who want an ethnic politics to oppose us.
2. Criminals: We have a Safety & Security committee and we have been working to get the criminals out of our settlement. In recent months we have been working very well with the local police to get them arrested. We have also put a time limit on the shebeens saying that they must close at 10:00 p.m. so that people can sleep properly and that there is no violence, especially violence against women, when people get too drunk. The criminals and some shebeen owners do not like what the movement is doing to make the settlement safe for everybody.
3. People who want Gumede's patronage: Every time the movement wins a small victory, like getting toilets built or even cleaned, Gumede tries to ensure that the jobs go only to his people. We are opposed to development becoming misused for party politics. The people who want to get Gumede's jobs are also unhappy with what we are doing.
The next Kennedy Road AGM is coming soon. Once again the people of Kennedy Road can vote for ever they want to represent them. The people who attacked us last night do not want democracy. If they felt that they had support they could just have waited for the AGM and put up candidates. What Gumede, and Baig are doing is not just an attack on Abahlali baseMjondolo. It is also an attack on democracy. They have now set set up a militia to destroy the movement. We have no armed wing. We have never attacked anyone. Our politics is a politics of open meetings and popular democracy. It is a politics of debating and discussing together. The politics that is being used to attack us is a politics of war. We see no difference between what is being done to us and what the apartheid regime did with the Witdoeke in the shack settlements in Cape Town in the 1980s.
After what has happened many people are saying to us that they do not trust the police. They are asking for the army to be sent in as the army might be neutral. As we write the attacks and threats continue. We are under attack. We are not armed. Gumede and his militia are not just a threat to us and our community. They are a threat to democracy in South Africa. It is very clear that democracy is under attack. As we are sending this statement a helicopter and many more police officers are arriving. We hope that they will be neutral and follow the law – not Gumede's politics of war. But as far as we can tell the police that are here are just looking for statements against the KRDC - those who were ambushed in the night! The violence is continuing. Gumede's people are saying that if Mashumi Figlan returns to Kennedy he will be killed. We do not have confidence that he and others will be protected by the police.
Things are still confused. If there are any errors in this statement we will correct them when we can talk to everyone safely and send out a more detailed statement.
Source: anarkismo.net
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