[DEBATE] : (Fwd) Kliptown reality tour, 6 Feb

[Patrick Bond]

APF


A CALL TO A PEOPLE’S INSPECTION IN KLIPTOWN



The community of Kliptown (Soweto) will be hosting a People’s Inspection 
into the social and living conditions of the working class in Kliptown 
on the 06th February 2008. The people will gather at the Walter Sisulu 
Square of dedication (historically where the Freedom Charter was signed 
in 1955 & the African National Congress held it’s 50 years celebration 
in 2005 using millions for the event) at 10h00 in the morning. We will 
then embark on a field trip into the community and gather back in the 
square to give our community members a chance to report back on the 
living conditions.



The Kliptown Concerned Residents (KCR) have in the past five years 
engaged in many community struggles for housing, exposing the living 
conditions of the working class who continue to live under squalid 
conditions despite our country being praised for its sustained economic 
growth. In the past two years we have seen how the state responds to the 
community’s demands when they took to the street to voice their anger. 
The community has been called all sorts of derogatory names like being 
under the influence of a ‘third force’, ‘anarchist’, ‘misguided’, 
‘instigators’ etc. and yet the situation remains the same for the 
majority of Kliptownians. The police have being called in numerous times 
to clamp down on community protest, firing rubber bullets and 
threatening people with jail if they fight for their rights to housing.



The KCR doesn’t want to simply paint a picture of our community - we 
want people to come and see for themselves the living conditions of the 
people of Kliptown. It is clear to the people of Kliptown that the poor 
will continue to live in abject poverty while a few elite live in a 
heaven on earth because of the failure to bridge the gap between the 
rich and the poor of South Africa. We know this first hand because the 
government, while make constant promises to build houses for the people 
of Kliptown, has now decided to relocate Kliptown residents to a place 
we do not even know (Lehae or Doornkop) – we know they are doing this 
because they have promised the land of Kliptown to the rich 
(businessman) and people who can afford high rental rates.



We extend our hand of invitation to the People’s Inspection to all. We 
want people to see how we live, to explore the situation of the 
community of Kliptown and start to engage in a collective and meaningful 
social dialogue in regards to the development of our community.



For further information please contact Sipho Jantjies (KCR Organiser) @ 
073 896 1353 or Sello Tladi (KCR Secretray) @ 083 859 1654 or Silumko 
Radebe @ 011 333 8334 or 072 1737 268