Shack dwellers 'under attack' at eThekwini

Fresh clashes between Abahlali baseMjondolo and the eThekwini Municipality have left 14 activists seriously injured.

That's according to the shack dwellers’ movement‚ which marched on the municipality two weeks ago.

The movement‚ the largest of its kind in the country‚ was highly critical about alleged "heavy-handedness" following clashes with police on Thursday.

They also pointed a finger at Mayor Zandile Gumede‚ blaming her for them coming “under armed attack”.

Last week Abahlali expressed outrage at the City’s R20 million controversial plan to buy four Casspir military vehicles to deal with wildcat protests.

They urged the city not to buy the vehicles which they said were aimed at controlling them.

“This marks an alarming and unacceptable escalation of the local state's increasingly repressive and intolerant response‚” Abahlali said in a statement.

The latest incident was triggered by impromptu protest action by the movement demanding answers from the city following their protest march and handing over of a memorandum of grievances last week.

Thousands of Abahlali supporters marched from Curries Fountain to City Hall on June 26 to present a memorandum of grievances

The conflict between eThekwini Municipality and Abahlali baseMjondolo is well documented over the past 12 years.

Their memorandum called on the city to respond in seven days to a litany of demands.

“We made it clear that if there was no response we would engage in further protest action‚” said Blessing Nyuswa‚ an Abahlali spokesman.

“More than seven days have passed and there has been no response to our demands. This is the politics of contempt. As a result we have taken to the streets‚ across the city‚ in defence of our dignity‚ our land‚ our homes‚ our right to the city and our future‚” said Nyuswa.

She said the response had been brutal‚ leading to 14 activists being seriously injured by the police.

“They are currently in King Dinizulu Hospital. At least four activists from George Hill‚ in Sydenham‚ have been arrested and are currently being detained at the Sydenham police station. One of the arrested comrades is also seriously injured‚” said Nyuswa.

“We presented ourselves‚ in our thousands‚ to the political leadership in the city and the province to demand that that they engage us democratically. They have refused to engage us democratically and have instead chosen to send out the police to repress us. They have sent out the police to shoot. We are under serious attack‚” she said.

Mayoral spokesman Mthunzi Gumede dismissed Abahlali’s claim that the city’s mayor was “attacking” them.

“Everyone in South Africa has a right to protest‚ but that right and privilege must be exercised within legal parameters and it must never violate or distract another person’s right or endanger property‚” said Gumede.

- TimesLIVE