DURBAN — On Saturday, September 26, about 40 heavily armed men ambushed a meeting of the Kennedy Road Development Committee of Abahlali baseMjondolo, South Africa's shack dwellers’ movement. The men were apparently shouting, “the AmaMpondo are taking over Kennedy. Kennedy is for the amaZulu!” The ensuing violence has resulted in between two and eight deaths, and hundreds of homes burned. As of Sunday night only leaders of Abahlali baseMjondolo have been jailed --- many of whom are members of the movement's security team and some of the youth who were not present at the time of the attack. Many have fled the settlement and people's homes are being destroyed, including the home of Abahlali President, S'bu Zikode.

It is clear that the attacks have been on political and ethnic grounds, and there is growing concern regarding the involvement of local authorities including the police, ANC, and ward council. The violence appears to be a planned attempt to break this peaceful and democratic movement. Please read and sign a petition demanding an end to the violence.

More Info: Sept29 Press Release from Durban Action Against Xenophobia | Sept28 Video & Story from Media Mobilizing Project | Sept 27 statement from Abahlali baseMjondolo | | | UPDATES: South Africa’s Poor Targeted by Evictions, Attacks in Advance of 2010 World Cup from Democracy Now! | Armed Guards and Checkpoints As Repression Continues in Durban South Africa from MMP

From Media Mobilizing Project (click thru for video):

Abahlali baseMjondolo, which now includes 10.000 people and 30 settlements, began in 2005 in response to mass numbers of forced evictions and housing demolitions of informal settlements outside of the city. The poor are being removed in preparation for the 2010 World Cup, paving the way for some to profit enormously.

Though Nelson Mandela promised housing to all South Africans 15 years ago, the number of families living in shack dwellings has doubled since 1994. Families living in the settlements have spent years fighting for things as basic as toilets. The shackdwellers movement recognises that the conditions they face are part of a new apartheid --- an apratheid between the rich and the poor. Their movement is of many races and ethnicities.

Over the past year, Abahlali baseMjondolo has seen an intensification of violence and harrasment by local police and gangs acting on behalf of the African National Congress -- the party that once saw the same horrific violence in the face of the struggle to end apartheid.

It is believed that this weekend's attack is being orchestrated by an ANC party official, Gumede, from a near-by Lady Road settlement.

Abahlali baseMjondolo describe four types of people who would like to destroy their 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. We also think that now the Abahlali baseMjondolo has won the struggle against the eviction of Kennedy Road, and for the up grade of the settlement where it is, these people want to use violence to take over the settlement so that they can get the contacts that they think will come with development. We suspect that Gumede has promised them these contracts.

4. People who are making money from electricity: Operation Khanyisa, in which we connect people to electricity, is for free. People who were charging to connect people to electricity see it as a threat to them."

Friends of Kennedy Road Development Committee have crafted a letter of support and petition that calls on President Zuma to see an immediate end to the attack. It states, "We have witnessed the great promise of South African democracy, and we hope that you will bring the full force of your office to protect it in this dark hour. As once before, the world is watching South Africa, to see how democracy can triumph over fear."

Read and sign the petition here.

This is a serious situation with more information about what can be done to come.

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