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 Yakoob Baig. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Yakoob Baig. Show all posts
Monday, November 30, 2009
Monday, September 28, 2009
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
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