Abahlali baseMjondolo – The Return to Kennedy Road Campaign
From Abahlali baseMjondolo – The South African Shackdwellers Movement based in Durban.
The truth remains. The truth frees. The truth cannot be hidden with lies for ever.
For lies to continue to hide the truth they must be constantly sustained and maintained. For truth to be able to emerge from under the lies we have to constantly remember what has really been said and done, by whom and for what purpose.
Channel 4′s Dispatches Brave Oh-Dearism: Lost girls of South Africa
South Africa, the home of the two “global elders”, Nelson Mandela and Archbishop Desmond Tutu. Since Mandela’s Presidency, it has been affectionately dubbed the Rainbow Nation, and changed from a pariah state which suffered the most effective academic, economic and cultural global boycott in history to now being the host of the first FIFA World Cup on the African continent. Despite its turbulent history and now 16 years of “self rule”, there are troubling persistent problems that remained common place and in some areas worsened since the historic Mandela Presidency.
South African victim of child-on-child rape
The British television programme, Channel 4′s Dispatches on 23rd May documented the story of four South African girls aged 11 to 13 as they struggle to come to terms with the crimes committed against them and fight the social stigma that comes with the abuse. These girls are shown and genuinely appear to be the tragic victims who overcome their fears to pursue justice in a society where violence and misogyny is prevalent. Their stories are deeply disturbing and upsetting. There are some powerful images and testimonies of these young people some of whom are raped either by other children, their father or some other adult in their community.
“Our eyes are on Durban, but not for the World Cup”
Today, Friday 14 May, a deputation from London Coalition Against Poverty visited the South African High Commission to deliver a message in solidarity with their sister group in Durban, the shackdwellers’ movement, Abahlali baseMjondolo. Even with the world’s attention focused on their city, the group is experiencing massive repression and its leaders have been driven into hiding.
LCAP activists outside South Africa House, London, UK
The letter was delivered to coincide with the court appearance of twelve Abahlali activists, arrested during two days of massive attacks on their settlement. Amnesty International stated that an armed mob of 500 people attacked their community on 26 and 27 September last year, targeting members of Abahlali in particular. Not a single person has been arrested for this violence, yet the Kennedy 12 are still facing the courts – with no evidence led thus far.
Protest at Zuma’s UK visit in solidarity with South African Shack Dwellers
As South African President Jacob Zuma visits London today, members of the Abahlali Solidarity UK campaign will hold a protest at 10 Downing Street to demonstrate against the repression of South African shack dwellers’ movement Abahlali baseMjondolo (AbM).
AbM activists were attacked on September 26 and 27, 2009, at the Kennedy Road settlement in Durban , South Africa. Two nights of violence by masked armed men that caused Anglican Bishop Rubin Phillip to say democracy itself was ‘under attack’ in South Africa. Read more
Film screening and discussion at School of African and Oriental Studies
Abahlali baseMjondolo Solidarity group in association with SOAS War on Want Society Presents:
The Right to Know: The Fight for Open Democracy in South Africa
- A Short Film Showing and Discussion -
7pm – Wednesday 3rd March
Room 4418 (4th Floor, SOAS Main Building)
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Occupy ALL Streets
By Kwadwo Kari-Kari
Let me start with a confession: I have not spent a single night sleeping at any of the occupations. If that appalls you, I can only apologise. However, I was one of two protesters that successfully “occupied” Paternoster Square from noon to 2pm on 15th October (mainly by hanging out in Starbucks).
Yet still, I see myself as part of the Occupy Movement, and admire those who camp at St. Paul’s and Finsbury Square. And I believe that many others share my point of view. Many sympathisers and supporters are not attracted to sleeping on freezing streets as a means of enabling social change. It might thus be useful to diversity the movement and engage more of the 99% we claim to represent.
Whilst many take inspiration from Occupy Wall Street, my inspiration comes from the South: From the “Indignados” of Spain, the uprisings in Egypt and Uganda, the Women of Zimbabwe Arise movement, the international peasant movement: Via Campesina and the South African shack-dwellers movement: Abahlali baseMjondolo.
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