Update from the Macassar Village Occupation

Abahlali baseMjondolo Western Cape
23 May 2009

Ongoing Defiance of State Criminality at Macassar Village

The land at Macassar Village was first occupied on Tuesday. The shacks that were built that night were demolished very early the next morning. Every day since then the people have rebuilt their structures to protect themselves at night, sometimes in the rain. Early every morning the police and municipal officials come have come and intimidated people, demolished people's structures and confiscated our building material.

In South Africa the PIE act makes it illegal and in fact criminal for anyone, including the state, to demolish any shack or even a temporary structure without an order of the court. Therefore these actions by the state are illegal and in fact criminal acts. As a results of these illegal actions from the police and the municipality the people at Macassar Village now, once again, sitting in the cold outside in an open space with nowhere to go. This includes women and children.

Abahlali baseMjondolo are not happy with the systemic criminality on the part of the police and municipality - a criminality that clearly has high level political backing.

We will continue with our struggle to democratise this city from below.

For more information contact Mzonke Poni at 0732562036