No Land! No House! No Vote!
Encyclopedia
No Land! No House! No Vote! is the name of a campaign by a number of poor people's movements in South Africa
that calls for the boycotting of the vote and a general rejection of party politics and vote banking
. The name is meant to imply that if government does not deliver on issues important to affected communities (such as land and housing) these movements will not vote.
(LPM) in 2004. Originally called the No Land! No Vote! campaign, the Landless People's Movement and the National Land Committee argued that voters have to be registered in their home ward to vote and that it would be impossible to vote if families were under threat of eviction or had no secure tenure. Amnesty International
has reported that LPM activists were tortured during the 2004 national government elections after taking on a ‘No Land! No Vote’ position.
In 2006, the Western Cape Anti-Eviction Campaign
and Abahlali baseMjondolo
movements boycotted the municipal elections under the banner of this campaign. The AEC held an election day march in Cape Town
saying they would abstain from voting. A march by Abahlali baseMjondolo under the banner of the No Land! No House! No Vote! campaign was illegally banned by the Durban
Municipality and was met with police repression.
In 2008, The Landless Peoples Movement, the Western Cape Anti-Eviction Campaign and Abahlali baseMjondolo and the Rural Network joined to form the Poor People's Alliance
. In 2009, the Alliance voted to boycott the national elections under the No Land! No House! No Vote! Banner.
During the 2009 national election campaign, the No Vote! campaign suffered severe repression by political parties and police. On 8 February 2009, the South African Police
allegedly beat and tear-gassed Gugulethu residents who were holding a meeting about housing because the ANC
provincial chairperson Mcebisi Skwatsha claimed they were disrupting voters registration. Eight members of the Landless Peoples Movement were also arrested in March 2009 and some claim that this is related to the No Vote! campaign by the Poor Peoples Alliance.
In the 2009 elections 39% of potential voters supported the ANC.
Abahlali baseMjondolo called for a boycott of the 2011 local government elections. They were joined by a range of other social movements including the Western Cape Anti-Eviction Campaign
, the Mandela Park Backyarders
, Sikhula Sonke
, the South African Unemployed Peoples' Movement
and the Landless People's Movement. Local community organisations also organised vote strikes in a number of towns around the country including, for instance, King William's Town
, Ficksburg
, Grahamstown
and Cato Ridge. A total of 42% of registered voters did not vote in the elections.
"If you do not vote, you are depriving yourself of a freedom we have fought for and given you. You are deciding to oppress yourself...you are failing yourself and the nation.
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
that calls for the boycotting of the vote and a general rejection of party politics and vote banking
Votebank
A votebank is a loyal bloc of voters from a single community, who consistently back a certain candidate or political formation in democratic elections...
. The name is meant to imply that if government does not deliver on issues important to affected communities (such as land and housing) these movements will not vote.
History
The No Land! No House! No Vote! campaign began as a national campaign by the South African Landless Peoples MovementLandless Peoples Movement
The Landless People's Movement is an independent social movement in South Africa. It represents rural people and people living in shack settlements in cities. The LPM boycotts parliamentary elections and has a history of conflict with the African National Congress...
(LPM) in 2004. Originally called the No Land! No Vote! campaign, the Landless People's Movement and the National Land Committee argued that voters have to be registered in their home ward to vote and that it would be impossible to vote if families were under threat of eviction or had no secure tenure. Amnesty International
Amnesty International
Amnesty International is an international non-governmental organisation whose stated mission is "to conduct research and generate action to prevent and end grave abuses of human rights, and to demand justice for those whose rights have been violated."Following a publication of Peter Benenson's...
has reported that LPM activists were tortured during the 2004 national government elections after taking on a ‘No Land! No Vote’ position.
In 2006, the Western Cape Anti-Eviction Campaign
Western Cape Anti-Eviction Campaign
The Western Cape Anti-Eviction Campaign is a non-racial popular movement made up of poor and oppressed communities in Cape Town, South Africa...
and Abahlali baseMjondolo
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...
movements boycotted the municipal elections under the banner of this campaign. The AEC held an election day march in 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...
saying they would abstain from voting. A march by Abahlali baseMjondolo under the banner of the No Land! No House! No Vote! campaign was illegally banned by the Durban
Durban
Durban is the largest city in the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal and the third largest city in South Africa. It forms part of the eThekwini metropolitan municipality. Durban is famous for being the busiest port in South Africa. It is also seen as one of the major centres of tourism...
Municipality and was met with police repression.
In 2008, The Landless Peoples Movement, the Western Cape Anti-Eviction Campaign and Abahlali baseMjondolo and the Rural Network joined to form the Poor People's Alliance
Poor People's Alliance
The Poor People's Alliance is a network of radical grassroots movements in South Africa. It was formed in 2008 after the Action Alliance, formed in December 2006, was expanded to include two more organisations....
. In 2009, the Alliance voted to boycott the national elections under the No Land! No House! No Vote! Banner.
During the 2009 national election campaign, the No Vote! campaign suffered severe repression by political parties and police. On 8 February 2009, the South African Police
South African Police
The South African Police was the country's police force until 1994. The SAP traced its origin to the Dutch Watch, a paramilitary organization formed by settlers in the Cape in 1655, initially to protect civilians against attack and later to maintain law and order...
allegedly beat and tear-gassed Gugulethu residents who were holding a meeting about housing because the ANC
ANC
ANC commonly refers to the African National Congress, a revolutionary movement which became the ruling political party in South Africa in the 1994 election.ANC may also refer to:-Organizations:...
provincial chairperson Mcebisi Skwatsha claimed they were disrupting voters registration. Eight members of the Landless Peoples Movement were also arrested in March 2009 and some claim that this is related to the No Vote! campaign by the Poor Peoples Alliance.
In the 2009 elections 39% of potential voters supported the ANC.
Abahlali baseMjondolo called for a boycott of the 2011 local government elections. They were joined by a range of other social movements including the Western Cape Anti-Eviction Campaign
Western Cape Anti-Eviction Campaign
The Western Cape Anti-Eviction Campaign is a non-racial popular movement made up of poor and oppressed communities in Cape Town, South Africa...
, the Mandela Park Backyarders
Mandela Park Backyarders
The Mandela Park Backyarders or just Backyarders is an unfunded Khayelitsha-based South African social movement made up of poor and marginalised residents of Mandela Park that is working for housing rights and against evictions....
, Sikhula Sonke
Sikhula Sonke
Sikhula Sonke farmworkers union is a Western Cape based independent social movement.Its focus include issues such as labour rights, domestic violence, food insecurity and alcohol abuse...
, the South African Unemployed Peoples' Movement
South African Unemployed Peoples' Movement
The South African Unemployed Peoples' Movement is a social movement with branches in Durban, Grahamstown and the Northern Provincein South Africa...
and the Landless People's Movement. Local community organisations also organised vote strikes in a number of towns around the country including, for instance, King William's Town
King William's Town
King William's Town is a town in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa along the banks of the Buffalo River. The town is about 40 minutes' motorway drive WNW of the Indian Ocean port of East London...
, Ficksburg
Ficksburg
Ficksburg is a town situated at the foot of the 450m high Imperani Mountain in Free State province, South Africa. The town was set up by General Johan Fick who won the territory in the Basotho Wars...
, Grahamstown
Grahamstown
Grahamstown is a city in the Eastern Cape Province of the Republic of South Africa and is the seat of the Makana municipality. The population of greater Grahamstown, as of 2003, was 124,758. The population of the surrounding areas, including the actual city was 41,799 of which 77.4% were black,...
and Cato Ridge. A total of 42% of registered voters did not vote in the elections.
Reasoning behind the campaign
Proponents of the No Land! No House! No Vote! campaign have explained the reasons behind their campaign. There are a variety of reasons for boycotting elections but most people who take this position say that they have been voting since 1994 but have seen no positive result from voting. They also often claim that politicians are all corrupt and that there are no political parties that represent the poor. Proponents also make the structural argument that the electoral process itself is undemocratic, that poor people must speak for themselves, and that the movements should be unaligned and pressure whichever political party comes into power.Variations on the Campaign
Proponents of the No Land! No House! No Vote! Campaign have come up with similar slogans which have included the statements 'No Jobs!', 'No Electricity!', 'No Water!', 'No Respect!', 'No Freedom!' as part of the 'No Vote!' boycott campaign.Criticisms of the Campaign
According to South African President Jacob ZumaJacob Zuma
Jacob Gedleyihlekisa Zuma is the President of South Africa, elected by parliament following his party's victory in the 2009 general election....
"If you do not vote, you are depriving yourself of a freedom we have fought for and given you. You are deciding to oppress yourself...you are failing yourself and the nation.
See also
- Abahlali baseMjondoloAbahlali baseMjondoloAbahlali 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...
- AbstentionAbstentionAbstention is a term in election procedure for when a participant in a vote either does not go to vote or, in parliamentary procedure, is present during the vote, but does not cast a ballot. Abstention must be contrasted with "blank vote", in which a voter casts a ballot willfully made invalid by...
- The Landless Peoples MovementLandless Peoples MovementThe Landless People's Movement is an independent social movement in South Africa. It represents rural people and people living in shack settlements in cities. The LPM boycotts parliamentary elections and has a history of conflict with the African National Congress...
- The Poor People's AlliancePoor People's AllianceThe Poor People's Alliance is a network of radical grassroots movements in South Africa. It was formed in 2008 after the Action Alliance, formed in December 2006, was expanded to include two more organisations....
- The Mandela Park BackyardersMandela Park BackyardersThe Mandela Park Backyarders or just Backyarders is an unfunded Khayelitsha-based South African social movement made up of poor and marginalised residents of Mandela Park that is working for housing rights and against evictions....
- Sikhula SonkeSikhula SonkeSikhula Sonke farmworkers union is a Western Cape based independent social movement.Its focus include issues such as labour rights, domestic violence, food insecurity and alcohol abuse...
- The Western Cape Anti-Eviction CampaignWestern Cape Anti-Eviction CampaignThe Western Cape Anti-Eviction Campaign is a non-racial popular movement made up of poor and oppressed communities in Cape Town, South Africa...
- The Zabalaza Anarchist Communist Front