Comrades,
This is a deeply touching story of how our people are treated. This is a cause worth supporting by every person who calls himself an Africanist. I would have loved to attend the Fundaraising venture but I will be attending PAM election manifesto in East London. Keep us up to date, we will put our shoulders behind the wheel. > > > > Subject: an invite to all > Date: Thu, 26 Feb 2009 09:43:18 +0200 > From: [email protected] > To: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; > [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; > [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; > [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; > [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; > [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; > [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; > [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; > [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; > [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; > [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; > [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; > [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; > [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; > [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; > [email protected]; [email protected]; > [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; > [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; > [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; > [email protected]; [email protected] > > > > > > COME TO A FUNDRAISING AND AWARENESS RAISING EVENT THIS SATURDAY 28th > February, starting at 7pm > > Why? Read on… > > Evicted People live on the Roadside for 7 months > Not more than a kilometre from the Lanseria Airport stands a big striped > tent and some makeshift shacks, along the R512 road. For seven months now > families have lived on the roadside, they were evicted from the adjacent > farm last July. More than 34 families were victims; most have disappeared > into the sprawling squatter camp of Diepsloot. Those who are still on the > roadside refuse to disappear. Their presence is their dignified > resistance; they have chosen to rather live on the roadside than be > forgotten with the many nameless, historyless in the squatter camp. > Pricilla Masilo was born on the farm in 1943; her parents worked, died and > were buried on the farm. She tells of how the security companies arrived > without warning, they demolished houses; damaged furniture and stole some > of their belongings under the protection of the police. By then, she had > built herself (without any assistance from government) an eight-roomed > brick house which was brought to the ground in minutes. Now she is being > reduced to a destitute who lives in a tent on the side of a road, without > water, food or ablution facilities. The evicted families lost everything. > Mama Mashilo’s dignity comes from her undying spirit of resistance, “I > want to go back”, is her defiant refrain. > Landless alive and landless in death! > Mama Mashilo tells her sad story without self pity. The only time she > breaks down and cries is when she tells of how Avbob, the funeral services > company, through the instruction of the land owner has desecrated their > graves. All 56 graves have now been successfully exhumed. She talks about > disrespect for the dead, and how the bones were exposed, mixed up and > taken away. The evictees don’t know where the bones of their ancestors are > re-buried or stored. > But what does the law say? > The law permits dispossession: Judge Fikile Bam, one of the struggle > heroes of Apartheid, granted a consent order which authorised the > eviction. Mama Mahilo and the other families deny strongly that they ever > agreed to move from the farm voluntarily and to settle in Adelaid Tambo > Emergency Settlement. They are long-term occupiers who in terms of the law > cannot be evicted. Truth is, the property rights of the white owner and > huge developers tramp the dignity of blacks. Judge Bam first dismissed > the urgent application brought by Mama Masilo and her co-occupiers to > rescind the so called “consent order” and secondly does not respond to the > requests of Masilo’s lawyers to grant them a pre-trial to continue with > the case. Because he is the judge President of the land claims court, > Masilo and her family find themselves in a terrible predicament – and do > not have a choice but to take drastic steps against Judge Bam in order for > this case to be heard. > Why the eviction? > All this pain so that a new up-market cluster housing development can take > place, golf course included. > What has the government done? > Mama Mashilo tells the story better; “they all pass here, Mbeki, Zuma, I > mean all of them”. She says, “They simply look the other way”. The huge > white and blue tent can’t be missed on the roadside. The DA apparently > arrived and said the people must go join the squatter camp. The Gauteng > Department of Land Affairs and Joburg Metropolitan council also know > about these people, in fact a brand new squatter camp has been build > ironically called Adelaid Tambo which serves as damping ground for the > evicted around Lansaria. The poor are on their own! > What we would like see happen? > > All the families returning to their land without being criminalised or > shot at (as is the case in many other similar situations). > All exhumed bodies returned and buried where they were. > Compensation for all the losses, pain and suffering > Note: In the past 15 years almost all cases of this nature have been won > by white capital and the protector of its interests, government. It’s very > likely that what we’re demanding will fall on deaf ears but we have no > option but to keep fighting. > Why is this particular case so important? > Shit like this happens to black folk all the time. This case is no > different to people being forcefully removed for platinum or shopping > malls. We’re just doing what we can. > We also question the roll of the Johannesburg Mucipality and would like to > know if Adelaide Tambo Emergency Settlement was established in order for > the big developers to have a dumping ground for occupiers. A number of > similar cases are been fought in court in the Lanseria area. Not the > developers, white landowners or the municipality have any intention to > make provision for poor people to stay on and be part of these > developments. Many poor people have a long history on the land, but > despite this and the governments “paper – policy “ of integrated suburbs > these people are dumped on Adelaide Tambo Emergency Settlement – very near > to a huge sewerage works – and forgotten off. > > What can you do for now? > > > > > COME TO A FUNDRAISING AND AWAREBNESS RAISING EVENT THIS SATURDAY 28th > February, starting at 7pm > Venue: 253 Park Street Malvern/Belgravia > Directions: Get to Roberts Street in Kengsinton , got up to Jeppe Boys, > turn into Goodhope street on the Schools side, turn left intop Highland > street, , drive over baby the hill, turn right into Katoomba str. The > house is on corner Blore and Park. Or just follow Baloons from Jeppe Boys > · Bring some money > · Buy the food and booze offered at the fundraising event at cost > · Contribute your ideas > Call 082 742 9660 for further info > > > · Pay a solidarity visit to the tent people on R512 close to > Lanseria Airport. > · Ask the municipality what there involvement is and why Adelaide > Tambo Emergency Settlement was established. > · Question who is financing these developments and ask them for > answers. > · Prevent the same thing from happening at the new planned Cradle > City Development. > Blackwash stumbled upon a story of sorrow and official neglect. Once we > have seen we can’t un-see. Once we know, we can’t un-know. We must all do > what we can because we are somehow responsible. > > · [email protected] to find out more > > > > This e-mail message has been scanned for Viruses and Content and cleared > by NetIQ MailMarshal > > _________________________________________________________________ > More than messages–check out the rest of the Windows Live™. > http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowslive/ > > > ------------------------------------------- South Africas premier free email service - www.webmail.co.za ------------------------------------------------------------------ For super low premiums, click here http://home.webmail.co.za/dd.pwm --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ Groups "Pan Africanist Youth Congress of Azania" group. 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