South Africa: Anti-Eviction Campaigners protest in Gugulethu

Western Cape Anti-Eviction Campaign hold Gugulethu protest

The Gugulethu Anti-Eviction Campaign held a protest today which converged on Fezeka Municipality Offices in Gugulethu. Poor and unemployed residents came from all over Gugulethu, KTC, Crossroads and Nyanga to have their voices heard.

We submitted the following list of grievances to the municipality this morning.

On Tuesday, the 17th of May, the Gugulethu Anti-Eviction Campaign will mobilise in numbers and return to Fezeka. If we are not heard and our grievances addressed, we will protest and block the entrance to Fezeka. If the City claims to work for us, then they must start working with us.

*No Dignity! No Vote!*

*Our Grievances*

1. Poor communities here are experiencing many evictions, water cut-offs, etc under both the ruling party and the oppositions parties - the ANC and DA, etc
2. Many poor families in poor communities experience broken families and many children as a result of policies in the new South Africa become orphans and/or street children.
3. White owned and black elite shopping malls in townships are killing poor families' small businesses, such as spaza shops and house shops.
4. Government institutions do not provide enough employment for our community. We demand jobs in all government institutions as soon as possible.
5. Private and government companies must stop keeping the land of the poor.
6. Poor communities are totally against the so-called building of cheap low-cost housing for the poor. We demand that government consults with us meaningfully on its housing policy.
7. There is lots of land in South Africa and in Cape Town but it is mostly owned by government or private owners to be used for speculation and big development projects. We demand that you stop saying that there is no land to build decent, adequate, strong and big houses for the poor!
8. The land in South Africa was stolen from us. The poor majority demands the land that was taken from our fore-fathers.
9. The 'New' South Africa and its Constitution are meaningless for the poor majority. The government only follows laws when they serve the rich.
10. Where is the white community's conscience, kindness, feelings, and humanity, as 87% of the land has been occupied by a minority made up of the black elite and white ownership groupings.
11. We have no land, no jobs, and therefore no food to feed our children. The poor community demands a Basic Income Grant for all poor families

*We demand a response within 7 days.*

“When they evicted us, I just lost it. Those same policemen couldn’t arrest my **child’s murderer, but they can kick us poor people out of the only houses we have” - Symphony Way resident

For more, please visit the website of the Western Cape Anti-Eviction Campaign at: www.antieviction.org.za and follow us on www.twitter.com/antieviction

Visit Abahlali baseMjondolo at www.abahlali.org and www.khayelitshastruggles.com

The Poor People's Alliance: Abahlali baseMjondolo, together with with Landless People's Movement (Gauteng), the Rural Network (KwaZulu-Natal) and the Western Cape Anti-Eviction Campaign, is part of the Poor People's Alliance - a unfunded national network of democratic membership based poor people's movements.

ENDS

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