[DEBATE] : Fwd: [Abahlali] Kennedy Road shack fire, a double attack

[Western Cape Anti-Eviction Campaign]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Abahlali Press <abmpress at gmail.com>
Date: Feb 18, 2008 7:50 AM
Subject: [Abahlali] Kennedy Road shack fire, a double attack
To: abahlali at lists.riseup.net



*Another Shack fire after eThekwini Municipality disconnected electricity in
Kennedy Road*
**
Abahlali baseKennedy a bigger branch of Abahlali baseMjondolo has again and
again been forced to accept the unacceptable. Last night at about 22:00
Saturday 16 February 2008 Kennedy Road settlement was on fire, fifteen
shacks were bunt down. About 25 people  including women and children were
displaced and left homelesss. It was fortunate that at least within 25
minutes the fire department was at the scene.The cause of fire is said to be
the paraffinn stove that exploded. The fire victims  have worked so hard and
for so long to have what they have had. It is known that there is no one who
is going to return their belongings of their sweat.The shack fires have
become one of those common minor incidents that do not matter, it does not
attract the interest of most media nor does it attract the sympath of those
in high authority. There are no efforts of any kind that the eThekwini
munipality is  prepared to explore in order to address the carnage of shack
fires.Shack fires can be avoided in a caring city like Durban as so much
money and energy is used to impress those who do not live in Durban and to
attract foreign investment.

The shack fire comes after the Durban Electricity Department, members of the
heavily armed South African Police Services and private security forces
invaded Kennedy Road Shack settlment disconnecting all the electricity from
peoples homes. No notice was given, no permission was granted and they
claimed to have the right to trespass to people's home without their
concerns. This shows how much power they have, being the law unto
themselves.It is well known that the electrity shotage is a national
concern. Why must the poor be blamed and forced to pay the price while the
big corporations are running their businesses day and night, making profit
while the shack dwellers use it just to light and to cook? The shack
dwellers themselves often get blamed for childrens who die in the shacks
through fires and rat bites for failing to keep the settlements clean. These
dirty accusation do not make any sense when there are dirty policies like
the KZN Slums Act and the policy that prohibit all informal settlement to
access electricty in Durban Metropolitan area.These policies are a killer,
these policies must be scrapped by all means possiple.

We have been attacked consistently to pay the price of speaking the truth to
power, some of us have suffered a lot of injustice in the hands of the SAPS
like in Sydenham police station, some of us have been beaten for speaking
the truth to power in a form of protests, so many of us have been arrested
for the same truth, some of us have been forced to lie to the police, while
some of us have been arrested to disunite our Movement. Most of us have had
electricty cut off and forced to live in darknes while the streets and the
graves of Durban are in light 24 hours a day.Thus both the electricity
disconnection and shack fires have been considared by Abahlali baseKennedy
as an ultimate capital punishment. We do not know as to when this conviction
will last. Our ancestors suffered the same punishment under old laws of the
past which made us poor. The same punishment must be resisted by all means
possible. Such lifelong living in the threat of fire, rats and unjustice in
the name of the caring city must be dealt with by all means
necessary.Electricity is not a luxuary but a basic human right, a right to
live and right that must be protected by all means possible. Even rural
arears are now provided with electricty, but the city like Durban sees the
electricty as  something for few special minority that can afford high rent.

A mass meeting was held in Kennedy Road on Thursday 14 February 2008 to
discuss a collective solution to the national crisis of electricity that has
now become a settlementised Kennedy Road crisis in isolation to the rest of
the country. All Abahlali settlements will fight to oppose all forms of
oppressive  policies that are a threat to future stability in our country. A
legal opinion has been seeked from our legal experts around the country so
that the city will see itself having to answer before the court of
law.Ithas not been easy having to deal with both the no light scenerio
and the
shack fire at the same time.

I believe that the comrades of Abahlali, the Abahlali friends, progressive
and democratic NGO's, Unionists, intellectuals, progressive leaders and
Human Right Organisations will not be silenced, when peace and justice is at
the brink of catastrophe.

S'bu Zikode
Abahlali baseMjondolo Movement SA
Sunday, 17 February, 7:30 p.m.