Thursday, 05 July 2018

Abahlali baseMjondolo Press Statement

Abahlali to Support Street Traders in their Protest in Durban Tomorrow

The ANC in Durban continues to grow rich off impoverished people through corruption and political gangsterism. They continue to try and divide us by race and ethnicity. Death threats remain the order of the day whenever anyone stands up for honesty and justice. Our movement continues to face serious and credible threats. 

The Mayor of eThekwini continues to present a clear and present danger to us. She is currently on mission to evict street traders who are surviving by selling on the streets in Durban. The Mayor is embarking on a ‘clean up’ campaign. We know this language. Again and again violent attacks on impoverished people and migrants are spoken of as if we are rubbish to be cleaned off the streets and out of the cities.

The current ‘clean up’ campaign by the Mayor is leaving people destitute. Street traders are organising and standing up for their dignity and their livelihoods. We must join their resistance.

Tomorrow the Market Users Committee, Abahlali baseMjondolo and the Right2Know Campaign will hold a march on the City Hall in defence of the street traders, and against the Mayor’s ‘clean up’ campaign, from 9:00 am.

We have often supported street traders’ struggles over the years, and many of our members are street traders. Just as we stand with the trade unions in their struggles at the workplace we also stand with people who are making a living from informal work. As a movement we always work to unite the struggles of the working class and impoverished people and to build solidarity between oppressed people.

Abahlali members will come out in numbers in support of our comrades who are facing this repression from the Municipality.

We cannot watch as people are purposely made to be poor by politicians. We cannot remain in silence. An injury to one is an injury to all.

Source: abahlali.org