Abahlali bas'eKhenana, a land occupation community in eThekwini, has faced repeated violent and illegal evictions by the municipality's Land Invasion Unit and encouragement of violence from the local ANC councillor. After many of their belongings were confiscated and burned, Abahlali obtained an interim court order prohibiting further evictions, threats, or violence. They are returning to court to finalize the interim order into a permanent one in hopes of allowing their community to live in peace, as the municipality and ruling ANC party have both attacked the autonomous organization of the poor.

1. Wednesay 5 June 2019
Abahlali baseMjondolo press statement
Abahlali bas'eKhenana return to court
For a long time the Abahlali bas' Khenana land occupation has
faced brutal and illegal evictions from the eThekwini
Municipality’s notorious Land Invasion Unit. The belongings of
the community have been confiscated and burnt many times.
Abahlali have always rebuilt after each and every eviction.
Under the rule of the ANC inkani opens the road to land, and
the price for land is paid in blood.
Mzi Ngiba, the local ANC councillor, has been dividing the
community using the local ANC members to wage violence on
Abahlali. He has also encouraged local ANC members to
occupy land with the aim of displacing Abahlali.
After repeated violent and illegal evictions Abahlali had to
approach the Durban High Court to seek an interdict against
the municipality. The court granted Abahlali an interim order
prohibiting the City from illegally evicting, burning or threatening
Abahlali.
Abahlali had to obtain this interdict to protect our members from
being violently and illegally evicted by the City but we note that
the attacks on the occupation have come from both the City
(the state) and the ANC (the ruling party). The eThekwini
municipality has always been heartless to poor landless
communities. The ANC has also been violent and intolerant to
poor people organised outside of the party. The party structures
have been used to wage war against autonomously organised
people since 2009.
The ANC continues with apartheid spatial planning, and violent
forms of oppression. It is most unfortunate that what was
supposed to be the government of the people has become the
government of the elites. We are ruled by violence, not
democratic discussion and negotiation.

2.
Today Abahlali bas'eKhenana will return to Durban High Court
to finalise the interim order. We hope that the interim order will
be made final so that our communities can live in peace and
harmony.