Solidarity: Serving our Life Sentence in the Shacks

Friday, 16 July 2010
Serving our Life Sentence in the Shacks

People all over South Africa have been asking the leaders of Abahlali baseMjondolo as to why the government continues to ignore the demands of the shack dwellers. They have been asking why after all the marches, statements, reports and meetings the Kennedy Road settlement continues to get burnt down through the endless shack fires. They have been referring in particular to the recent Kennedy Road shack fire on Sunday, 4 July 2010 that took four lives, leaving more than three thousand people displaced and homeless.

Without much more words to explain this continuous tragedy we have replied that in fact the shack dwellers of South Africa are serving a life sentence. Everybody knows that we are the people who do not count in this society. But the truth that must be faced up to is that we have been sentenced to permanent exclusion from this society.

Invitation to the Celebration of the AbM Victory Against the Slums Act

Abahlali baseMjondolo Press Statement
29 October 2009

On 14 October 2009 the Constitutional Court ruled against the KwaZulu-Natal provincial government and in favour of Abahlali baseMjondolo. The court found that Section 16 of the Slums Act was unconstitutional and invalid. The Slums Act now has been struck down.

Abahlali baseMjondolo will be holding a celebration of our victory against the Slums Act this Sunday, 1 November, at 9am. The celebration will take place the Richmond Farm Transit Camp. All progressive communities, journalists and members of the public are welcome.

Reasons for Choosing Richmond Farm Transit Camp as the Celebration Venue

Landmark judgment in favour of poor

NIREN TOLSI | DURBAN, SOUTH AFRICA –

Oct 18 2009 06:00 – Mail & Guardian

In a major legal victory for poor people’s rights to housing and shelter, the Constitutional Court this week struck down the KwaZulu-Natal Slums Act. The court upheld shackdweller movement Abahlali base Mjondolo’s (ABM) application that the Act was unconstitutional.

AbM in Media: Shack dwellers’ victory

15 Oct 2009 – The Witness
Sharlene Packree

RESIDENTS of the Kennedy Road settlement in Durban were jubilant yesterday at the ruling of the Constitutional Court that a law that would have allowed mass evictions in KwaZulu-Natal is unconstitutional.

Media: KZN Slums Act ruled unconstitutional

October 14 2009 at 11:57AM – SAPA

The Constitutional Court ruled on Wednesday that a law that would have allowed mass evictions in KwaZulu-Natal was unconstitutional.

AbM HAVE WON THE CASE AGAINST THE SLUMS ACT IN THE CONSTITUTIONAL COURT!

Abahlali baseMjondolo Press Statement
14 October 2009 – For Immediate Release

** Click here for a copy of the Constitutional Court Judgment **

** Click here for the media summary **

We have WON the Slums Act Concourt case and we have WON it with costs.

Statement by the Most Reverend Njongonkulu Ndungane, the Anglican Archbishop of Cape Town: “This indicates that we need now is an engaged citizenry. What we’ve tended to do is to stand back and allow things to happen to us, even in our own name. What Abahlali baseMjondolo have shown us is ‘not in our name and not on our watch’“.

For comment contact from the Constitutional Court contact:

Mnikelo Ndabankulu 079 745 0653

Zodwa Nsibande 082 830 2707

Mazwi Nzimande 074 222 8601

Bongo Dlamini 074 875 6234

Shamita Naidoo 074 315 7962

Stuart Wilson (The AbM lawyer) 072 265 8633

The Judgment

There is a summary of the judgment below and the full judgment can be accessed here.

Constitutional Court to rule tomorrow on KZN elimination of slums act

CONSTITUTIONAL COURT OF SOUTH AFRICA
Abahlali baseMjondolo Movement SA v Premier KZN and Others
Case CCT 12/09
Date of hearing: 14 May 2009

MEDIA SUMMARY

The following explanatory note is provided to assist the media in reporting this case and is not binding on the Constitutional Court or any member of the Court.

Media: State turns against shack dwellers

by Jeanne Hromnik – The Weekender
Published: 2009/10/10 09:03:17 AM

THE appellants in the Joe Slovo shack dwellers’ case against Thubelisha Homes might be forgiven for thinking the law is an idiot and an ass (and a bachelor, no doubt) after a recent ruling of the Constitutional Court.

M&G article on AbM’s challenge to the Slums Act

Source: M & G

Abahlali baseMjondolo was joined by the Western Cape Anti-Eviction Campaign and other Poor Peoples Alliance members at the Constitutional Court.  Down with the Slums Act, Down!  Forward to Abahlali, Forward!

Video and Photos of AbM, LPM and AEC at the Constitutional Court

Video: ‘From Shack to the Constitutional Court’

Photographs of the Poor People’s Alliance at the Concourt (click here for more):

The PPA marching to the Concourt