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SUNDAYTRIBUNE12 OCfOBER6 2013 . FOCUS· After a sch<?olgirl died in a -shack :dWellers' protest in Cato Crest, Nathi Olifairtand Ayanda' Mhlanga look at Abahlali ·baseMjondolq - its power base, funders, philosophy and leaders WO years from now agencies, arrests are common. Abahlali baseMjon Abahlali says it has devel dolo-shackdwellers, oped a sustained voice for loosely translated - shack dwellersin public spaces will turn 10. and occupied and, marched to The movement has been the officesof local councillors, waging a social war that has police stations, munkipal grabbed the attention of local offices, newspaper offices and and international media and city hall in actions that have boasts it represents about put thousands of people on the · 500 QOO homeless people. streets. The movement was started The movement refuses to in early 2005and its leader,S'bu engage in party politics and Zikode, announced its· arrival boycotts elections. with apaper, "We are the Third It has been attacked by both Force". the ANC and the l)A, with both The widely published paper trying to woo Abahlali into described how the shack their ranks, to no avail� dwellers' movement had given City authdrities have hope to thousands in Durban accused the movement of while accused of being part of being ultra-leftist, a DA plot the Third Force, a label for and being underwritten by for those deemed to have betrayed eign right-wingers, the Struggle in the apartheid Abahlaliorganised a highly era - particularly in the years contentious but successful boy between 1990 and1994. cott of the March 2006 local Zikode's paper was pub government elections under lished in November 2005, rap the slogan "no land, no house, idly translated into Mrikaans, no vote". Xhosa and Zulu and widely Among · the victories republished in newspapers and notched up, :it has democra popular magazines. tised the governance of many Abahlali claims it is proba settlements, stopped evictions bly the most widely repub in a number of them, won lished piece of journalism in access to schools, stopped the post-apartheid South Mrica. industrial development of the With most of its members land promised to Kennedy in Durban, Abahlali says it's Road, forced offiCials, offices the largest organisation of the and projects to "come down to militant poor in post-1994 the people" and mounted vigor South Africa. ous social challenges. Its original event was a road The key demand is for "land blockade organised from the and housing in the city" but it Kennedy Road settlement in has also successfully politi protestagainst the sale of land cised and fought for an end to to a local industrialist. force(iremovals and for access The local councillor had to education and the provision Cato Crest informal settlement Some of the people living here say they have been waiting for an RDP house for up to I 0 years. long promised the land would of water,electricity, sanitation, be developed· for houses ·for health care and refuse removal shack dwellers. as well as bottom-up popular WIIAT THI.POUTICAL PARtiESSAY The movement grew rapidly democracy. al;ijinow has tens of thousands In some settlements, the of supporters from more than movement has succeeded ·in DA: ANC: 30 settlements. establishing creches, gardens, Check on hou�ing allocation Poor used to fur Since they're often at log. and sewing collectives. gerheads with It has also provided support IN THEwake of unrest inthe Cato Crest comes afterthe fatal shooting of a teenage THE ANC has accused Abahlali base to violen the munici for people living with or made area, the DA said. it had written to Pre girl, Nqobile Nzuza, early this week dur Mjondolo of "using the poor" to further promise pality and orphans by Aids. · mier SenzoMchunu requesting theestab" ing a violentprotestat the informalsettle its own agenda. "It is law en It has also organised a lishmentof a contmission of :iriqurry to ment aftera stand-offbetween police and Although the ANC did not name ity to m� �--��· forcement 16-team football league and look into all housing delivery matters protesters. _ Abahlali, merely because the party does taking .t{ puts o�.. quarterly . within Durbarrs Cato ·Crest illform&J "1\:ven,t�r.�t Qa�'() Crest have gone not recpgni�themovement, provincial wrongs(\ all-night multi settlement. beyond the controi of the e'I'hekwini secretary Sihle Zikalala said this week provincia genre · music Buoyed by Western Cape. develop Municipalityand metro police. The pre they had noted the recent spate of so comes th competitions: ments, where Premier Helen Zille got mier must intervene if further unrest ·called public protests. dent Pol Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa to estab and death areto be prevented. The party said some organisations into the ( lish a commission of enquirYinto alleged "The situation at Cato Crest is the mobilised �o create social instability !?O old girl. police inefficiencyin KhayelitSha, theDA resultof the collapse of the municipal that they could emerge as community mine th in KZN said thecommission should cover ity's housing department. The DA in leaders. need toh ongoing allegations of utllawfUl evic, eThekwini previously submitted two "We are certain .that the ANC gov Zikal S'bu Zikode .•. · tions, illegal contractors, unfair alloca notices of motion to the council, calling ernment has delivered a lot for our peo warn op leading the tions andany corrupt activity. for a new, transparent housingallocation ple in creating.a better lifefor all, but we used bre< militant poor. DA MPLGeorge Mirrisaid therequest policy." are aware a backlog still needs to be ulate peo Mari said the DA had requested inves addressed urgently;" said Zikalala. "We a, tigations into allegedly dodgy housing He said the challenges did not mean pality a allocations and had marched to city hall protesters were justified in undermin speedily Springfield to callon the mayor to answer for illegal ing basic ser\ricedelivery that had been ery as till evictions. achieved so far in their areas, resorting social up Value Centre • 031 2630257 . - ·-. -· · ONEDAY ONLY EXHIBITION 01JT OF HANDLIQUIDATION MASSIVE COI414ECftON OF GOLDAND DIDIONDJEWEIAIAE BY & PRESTIGE ·wATCHES· LIQUIDATIONCLEAJI,ANCE FOBUBG CASHREALISATION PRICES DBASTICAIAI4YBEDUCED -NO • REASONABLE OFFER REFUSED I Acting for the principals of "FINE JEWELLERY CC" closed down and others KennyFinberg will offer this large and collection for out of hand sale at the "t'fCftl J4'1'1:'1 - .,II .t.IIT UC n Aft- UMUI A"'� U · ellers' and Ayanda� dolo- its d leaders Who pays the bills· and bailouts IT'S not known how much the Abahlali baseMjondolo move ment has in bank accounts or who audits the . books, but a number of donors are listed on its website. The main source of funding is the South African Develop ment Fund: .· contributors include the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Broadway Cares, Equity Fights Aids, Calamus FolJ,ndation, Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, Cob ble Creek Foundation and EuropeanClimate Foundation. Abahlali says it has "grate fully"accepted small donations for projects from Entraide et Fraternite, The Church Land Programme, X-Y, An�rchist Black Cross, ecumenical church organisations and War on Want. Amnesty International has helped with legal costs and Mute Magazine, People's House and the Onyx Founda tion have invested books, jour nals and filmsin the University of Abahlali · baseMjondolo library. Friends of Workers' Educa tion in South Africa have also made literary donations. Cato Crest informal settlementSome ofthe people living here say they have been waiting for an RDP house for up to I 0 years. Picture: DOCTOR NGCOBO Other known donors include Pietermaritzburg's Gift of the Givers, St Eliza wHATtHE POliTICALPARtiES SAY beth's Church in New Jersey, the US, Bishop Rubin Phillip ·;.. and the Ota Benga Alliance. Anonymous donations from DA:�Check on housing allocation ANC: Poor used to further agenda Italy and San Francisco have helped with the aftermath of IN THEwake of unrest in the catoCrest comes afterthe fatal shooting of a teenage THE ANC has accused Abahlali base to violent protests that sometimes com frres. area, the DA said it had written to Pre girl, Nqobile Nzuza, early this week dur Mjondolo of "using the poor" to further promised the lives of others. The website says it has mier Senzo Mchunu requestingthe estab; .. ing violenta protestat theinformal setile its own agenda. "It is the government's responsibil rejected "breyani money" - " lishment cf a conftnissiort.of inquiry to ment afterstand a: -offbetween police and Althortgfi the ANC . did not name ity to maintain law and order without intended to co-opt or with· look into all housing delivery matters protesters. Abahlali, merely because the party does taking . the lives of protesters. Two stringsattached. _ "EveiJ.t!:l'�t C�to Crest have gone wrongs do not make a right. The ANC Abahlali claims its annual within Durban's Cato Crest, ilJ,forma.I.:· not recogni�the movement, provincial setilement. beyond the control of the eThekwini secretary Sihle Zikalala said thiS week · provincial executive committee wel budget has always. been signif Buoyed by Western Cape. develop Municipality and metro police. The pre they had noted the recent spate of so comes the investigation by the Indepen icantly less than the. modest called public protests. dent Police Investigative Directorate annual salary of one NGO ments, where Premier Helen Zille got mier must intervene if further unrest · Police Minister Nathi Mthethwato estab and death are to be prevented. The party said some organisations into the Cato Crest killing of a, 17-year employee. lish a COllllPission of enquiry into alleged "The situation at Cato Crest is the mobilised to create social instability so old girl. Trigger-happy police under "The movement has been police inefficiencyin KhayelitSha, theDA result.