Macassar Village Land Occupation
Encyclopedia
The squatter's movement Abahlali baseMjondolo
occupied a piece of vacant state owned land in Macassar Village, near Somerset West outside of Cape Town
on 18 May 2009. Before occupying the land Abahlali baseMjondolo organised an open and public 'cleaning campaign' on the land during which the land was cleared.
On the day of the occupation four people, including prominent academic Martin Legassick
were arrested. The arrests, which were accompanied by shooting with rubber bullets, followed two attempts by the occupiers to barricade the N2 in protest at the demolition of their shacks by the police. The Cape Times
quoted Clarissa Benjamin, a 47 year old mother of three as saying "We have no place to stay. The government has millions to spend on building stadiums for 2010, but I have been waiting for a house for the past 20 years.".
Bush Radio
reported that the local councillor had agreed, on 20 May, to hand the land over to the residents on the 21st of May and that the occupiers expected Cape Town
Mayor Dan Plato
to hand the land over in person. However the City of Cape Town sent in its Anti-Land Invasions Unit to demolish the shacks on 21 May. According to Abahlali baseMjondolo the City demolished the shacks on the land each day since the land was occupied and the occupiers rebuilt their shacks each day. Because the City had no court orders for any of these demolitions they were, according to an article in the Cape Argus
, "in strict legal terms, criminal".
Professor Martin Legassick commented that "If housing cannot be provided immediately for all, people must be allowed to find land on which to build shacks, whether that land is municipal, state, provincial or private." Mayor Dan Plato argued that "certain elements had orchestrated the land invasion through misinformation" and that 'If the group was allowed to squat there, they would "start shouting for services" such as electricity and toilets.
On 29 May Abahlali baseMjondolo secured an urgent interdict in the Cape High Court that prevented the City Council from demolishing any shacks without an order of the court. However the City ignored the interdict and continued to demolish shacks. On 1 June 2009 Mzonke Poni
, chairperson of Abahlali baseMjondolo in the Western Cape, was arrested on a charge of public violence. He alleged that he was assaulted by the police while in their custody.
On 9 June the Centre on Housing Rights and Evictions
in Geneva
issued a letter strongly condemning the actions of the Cape Town City Council. The following day the occupation received a strong statement of support from The Catholic Justice and Peace Commission. On 16 June 2009 the Abahlali baseMjondolo Cape Town held an event to 'de-celebrate' the national public holiday of Youth Day. At the time the Cape Argus
reported that one of the people evicted from Macassar was sharing a single roomed backyard shack with 26 other people.
On 18 June the City of Cape Town terminated its working relationship with the legal firm that had represented the occupiers resulting in a 'storm' of harsh criticism from human rights advocates.
The land occupation continues under 24 hour surveillance from the Anti-Land Invasions Unit, which has just received R10 million in funding from the Cape Town City Council. Although people continue to live on the land they have not been able to rebuild their shacks and are sleeping out in the open.
Abahlali baseMjondolo
Abahlali baseMjondolo , also known as AbM or the red shirts is a shack-dwellers' movement in South Africa which is well known for its campaigning for public housing. The movement grew out of a road blockade organized from the Kennedy Road shack settlement in the city of Durban in early 2005 and now...
occupied a piece of vacant state owned land in Macassar Village, near Somerset West outside of Cape Town
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
on 18 May 2009. Before occupying the land Abahlali baseMjondolo organised an open and public 'cleaning campaign' on the land during which the land was cleared.
On the day of the occupation four people, including prominent academic Martin Legassick
Martin Legassick
Martin Legassick is an eminent and world renowned South African historian and a lifelong activist.Legassick was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, in 1940. In 1947 he and his parents emigrated to South Africa. In 1960 he became a Rhodes Scholar at Balliol College, Oxford...
were arrested. The arrests, which were accompanied by shooting with rubber bullets, followed two attempts by the occupiers to barricade the N2 in protest at the demolition of their shacks by the police. The Cape Times
Cape Times
The Cape Times is an English language morning newspaper owned by Independent News & Media and published in Cape Town, South Africa. The first edition of the newspaper was published on 27 March 1876 by then editor Frederick York St Leger...
quoted Clarissa Benjamin, a 47 year old mother of three as saying "We have no place to stay. The government has millions to spend on building stadiums for 2010, but I have been waiting for a house for the past 20 years.".
Bush Radio
Bush Radio (South Africa)
Bush Radio is a popular and pioneering community radio station in South Africa. It broadcasts from Cape Town on 89.5 MHz FM, with a music and talk format aimed at the 18 to 39 age group.-Early life:...
reported that the local councillor had agreed, on 20 May, to hand the land over to the residents on the 21st of May and that the occupiers expected Cape Town
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
Mayor Dan Plato
Dan Plato
Daniel "Dan" Plato is the Minister for Community Safety in the Western Cape and the former Executive Mayor of Cape Town, South Africa.-References:...
to hand the land over in person. However the City of Cape Town sent in its Anti-Land Invasions Unit to demolish the shacks on 21 May. According to Abahlali baseMjondolo the City demolished the shacks on the land each day since the land was occupied and the occupiers rebuilt their shacks each day. Because the City had no court orders for any of these demolitions they were, according to an article in the Cape Argus
Cape Argus
Founded in 1857 by Saul Solomon, the Cape Argus is a daily newspaper published by Independent News & Media in Cape Town, South Africa. It is commonly referred to simply as "The Argus"....
, "in strict legal terms, criminal".
Professor Martin Legassick commented that "If housing cannot be provided immediately for all, people must be allowed to find land on which to build shacks, whether that land is municipal, state, provincial or private." Mayor Dan Plato argued that "certain elements had orchestrated the land invasion through misinformation" and that 'If the group was allowed to squat there, they would "start shouting for services" such as electricity and toilets.
On 29 May Abahlali baseMjondolo secured an urgent interdict in the Cape High Court that prevented the City Council from demolishing any shacks without an order of the court. However the City ignored the interdict and continued to demolish shacks. On 1 June 2009 Mzonke Poni
Mzonke Poni
Mzonke Poni is the chairperson of Abahlali baseMjondolo of the Western Cape. He was previously a leader of the Western Cape Anti-Eviction Campaign...
, chairperson of Abahlali baseMjondolo in the Western Cape, was arrested on a charge of public violence. He alleged that he was assaulted by the police while in their custody.
On 9 June the Centre on Housing Rights and Evictions
Centre on Housing Rights and Evictions
The Centre on Housing Rights and Evictions is a Geneva-based international non-governmental human rights organisation founded in 1994 by Scott Leckie as a foundation in the Netherlands .-Offices:...
in Geneva
Geneva
Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
issued a letter strongly condemning the actions of the Cape Town City Council. The following day the occupation received a strong statement of support from The Catholic Justice and Peace Commission. On 16 June 2009 the Abahlali baseMjondolo Cape Town held an event to 'de-celebrate' the national public holiday of Youth Day. At the time the Cape Argus
Cape Argus
Founded in 1857 by Saul Solomon, the Cape Argus is a daily newspaper published by Independent News & Media in Cape Town, South Africa. It is commonly referred to simply as "The Argus"....
reported that one of the people evicted from Macassar was sharing a single roomed backyard shack with 26 other people.
On 18 June the City of Cape Town terminated its working relationship with the legal firm that had represented the occupiers resulting in a 'storm' of harsh criticism from human rights advocates.
The land occupation continues under 24 hour surveillance from the Anti-Land Invasions Unit, which has just received R10 million in funding from the Cape Town City Council. Although people continue to live on the land they have not been able to rebuild their shacks and are sleeping out in the open.