In an Abahlali baseMjondolo Press Statement released last night the organisation said;
“At around 13:00 p.m. on 2 September approximately 80 municipal police officers and members of the Land Invasions Unit arrived in Cato Crest, Ward 101, escorted by the local Councillor, Mzimuni Ngiba and his BEC (Branch Executive Committee of the ANC). They attacked our comrades and demolished their shacks leaving them homeless. They demolished the shacks even though there is a court order preventing them from demolishing the shacks.
“According to some members of the community the Cato Crest BEC gathered at stop one in the morning around 11 just after the television show of iLungelo Lakho had finished where S’bu Zikode was talking about the corruption in public housing. He set an example of Mzimuni Ngiba who is one of the leading corrupt councillors and a councillor whose critics are assassinated by izinkabi (hit men).
“When this committee gathered the agenda was Abahlali and Zikode. This conversation of the BEC was witnessed by some of the Abahlali baseMjondolo Exco leaders who was visiting our comrades in the area to be in solidarity. They heard them loudly talking about S’bu Zikode. One of the ladies who was at the meeting said; “We must teach these people a lesson”. On our minds we had thought that it was the normal threats of intimidation not realising they will use the municipality who have been interdicted from demolishing houses to attack our members in the area.
“Two hours after the AbM Exco members had left Cato Crest the councillor came with the Land Evasion Unit and the municipal police. They brutally beaten the people, shot them with rubber bullets and sprayed them with tear gas. These police also had dogs. When people ran away the police even followed them even into their hiding and continued to beat them there.
“Some comrades rushed to the area. Others rushed to the Durban High Court to state that the court order that we have secured last month was not being respected and the Municipality had breached the order. The Durban High Court granted another Court Order which interdicts the Municipality from evicting and demolishing houses. It also instruct the Municipality to rebuild the structures which they had demolished. The order also declared that the demolishing of houses on the 13 of August was unlawful.
“If the municipality continues to demolish houses it would mean that they are in contempt of the Court Order. As the movement we will ensure that no municipality becomes bigger than the law and that no rights should be violated. Everyone counts. Everyone have the right to housing and not just those who are friends with James Nxumalo or Mzimuni Ngiba.
“We will stand together. We will stand strong in our politic. Justice is on our side.
“We want to express our gratitude to SERI and Trudie Nichols Attorneys for representing us in court.”
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