IOL: De Lille dodges backyarders meeting

06 Sep 2011 – IOL

De Lille dodges backyarders meeting

Landless peoples’ group Abahlali baseMjondolo (AbM) has accused Cape Town mayor Patricia de Lille of running away from a meeting with “backyarders” in Khayelitsha on Tuesday.

The group said it had mobilised the “backyarders” in the township, and many were excited to meet De Lille.

The City of Cape Town however cancelled the meeting at the last minute out of fear for De Lille’s safety.

“People gathered outside the AbM office in Khayelitsha this morning,” the group said in a statement.

Media: Khayelitsha a ‘prized area’ for political parties

Malungelo Booi | EWN

 

A political analyst on Friday said the Cape township of Khayelitsha is the focus of political activity due to a unique set of circumstances.

In recent days Cape Town’s oldest township has been characterised by scenes of service delivery protests ahead of May’s local government elections.

The area has seen several political parties coming and going in a bid to secure votes.

At the same time civic organisation Abahlali baseMjondolo has come out to discourage locals from voting.

D Section community to mobilise and return old lady to her rightful home

20 April 2011
Western Cape Anti-Eviction Campaign Press Statement

On the 20^th of July 2010, right in the middle of the FIFA World Cup, Sheila Jacobs, a pensioner, was evicted from her home at D233 Khumbula Street in D Section, Khayelitsha. Phumla Maqasha arrived with the Sheriff of the Court and a contingent of police from Lingelethu SAPS, while she was watching a soccer match on TV.

But Sheila owned this house, did not owe a cent to any bank, and had never heard of Mrs Maqasha until that day. And this so-called mistaken eviction began a series of events that has resulted in the mobilisation of an entire community and the subsequent shooting of three older Mamas and the arrest of a fourth Mama and a school-aged boy.
Event: Mobilisation, protest and returning Sheila to her home today
Time and place: 10h00 at D233 in D Section, Khayelitsha

Protests in E Section set to continue after Thursday’s police violence

17 April 2011
Western Cape Anti-Eviction Campaign Press Statement

Residents have vowed to continue their protest against the eviction of a poor family and against Thursday’s police brutality that has left 3 residents seriously injured. Residents will submit a petition to police today and fight for the rights and dignity of resident’s vulnerable to greedy banks and politicians.

Wednesday

As we saw all over the news, on Wednesday the 13^th, the Sheriff of the Court came to E Section with police and security guards to evict Nomachina Magodla and her 7 children because the greedy banks have no interest in helping her find a way to repay her dead husband’s loan. Community members mobilised in support of the family blockading the road, burning tyres, and trying to remove the private security guards the bank has placed inside the home.

Negotiations between the community of E Section and the police on Wednesday provided no solution to the Magodla family. The community then went to night court to find relief for the Magodla family but at night court there was still no solution.

Media: Pastor declares townships a ‘hell’

28 DEC 2010 | SIZWE KA BANZI | Sowetan

PASTOR Xola Skosana marched through Khayelitsha in Cape Town with a huge banner declaring townships a “hell” on Christmas Day.

“The government must never be absolved from its responsibilities,” he said during his 10km march.

Sowetan reported earlier this year on Skosana’s ground-breaking “Jesus was HIV-positive” sermon, which made national headlines.

On Christmas Day he stood alongside the busy N2 highway from Cape Town to Eastern Cape to complain about the hellish life in townships.

Media: Residents demand lion’s share of jobs at mall

October 27, 2009 Edition 2
THANDANANI MHLANGA – Cape Argus

GUGULETHU residents protesting outside the new Gugulethu Square Mall, demanded that they be given 80 percent of the jobs available there when it opens on Thursday.

The Anti-Eviction Campaign led a protest march at the new mall yesterday, alleging that corruption, bribery and nepotism had taken place in its tender and job-creation process.

23 Mandela Park Backyarders Arrested Now

Anti-Eviction Campaign Press Release

on Behalf of Mandela Park Backyarders

15h00 on 20 Semptember, 2009

23 Mandela Park Backyard Community Members have been arrested and are currently being held in a waiting cell in the Harare Police Station in Khayelitsha on wrongful assumptions by the police. Protests have occurred based on the false promise of housing by Minister Madikizele.

Opinion: Burning message to the state in the fire of poor’s rebellion

Richard Pithouse – BusinessDay
Published: 2009/07/23 06:30:32 AM

DU NOON, Diepsloot, Dinokana, Khayelitsha, KwaZakhele, Masiphumelele, Lindelani, Piet Retief and Samora Machel. We are back, after a brief lull during the election, to road blockades, burnt-out police cars and the whole sorry mess of tear gas, stun grenades and mass arrests. Already this month, a girl has been shot in the head in KwaZakhele, three men have been shot dead in Piet Retief, and a man from Khayelitsha is in a critical condition.

Informal settlement march to Mayor’s office underway

By Kim Saulse – Bush Radio
20 July 2009

The march to the Mayor’s office is underway. Frustrated residents from 15 informal settlements around the city are marching to the Cape Town Mayor Dan Plato’s office, where each community will submit their grievances and demands.

AbM-WC: Diarrhea kills increasing number of under 5’s

Brenda Nkuna

Thursday, March 26, 2009

Source: West Cape News

The number of children under five dying of or being admitted to Western Cape hospitals for diarrhea increased for the last period in which figures are available, says the Western Cape Health Department.

Diarrhea claimed the lives of 149 children under five years old over the 2007/2008 period. This was out of 7,790 admissions to hospitals, said provincial health spokesperson Faiza Steyn.