Onrust in Zuid-Afrika: oproeren en boerderij-aanvallen

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Zim-style grab
ÜGEN VOS

JOHANNESBURG - The ANC stands accused of co- opting the police to orchestrate illegal farm invasions south of Johannesburg – reminiscent of government-sanctioned land grabs in Zimbabwe.

Midvaal Local Municipality executive mayor Timothy Nast believes the move is designed to undermine the authority of DA- controlled municipalities, and is seeking an urgent court interdict against both the neighbouring ANC-controlled Sedibeng District Municipality and the SA Police Service (SAPS).

More than 250 ANC members, some apparently claiming to be MK vets, invaded a farm adjacent to a new brewery this week. Midvaal called in the Red Ants to remove them on Tuesday, but was blocked by Sedibeng and the SAPS. Bizarrely, Sedibeng appears to have placed illegal containers on the property to accommodate the invaders, and its acting municipal manager wants a court interdict to legalise the occupation.

When the Red Ants made their move, members of the Kliprivier police station intervened, advising the municipality to first open a case at the police station.

But when he tried to do just this, Nast claims the police simply “refused” to open the case. He says police members openly admitted receiving orders from “higher up” to continue frustrating the municipality’s attempts to act against the farm invaders.

Nast then asked Gauteng Premier Nomvula Mokonyane and MEC for Local Government Dorothy Qedani for help.

They never got back to him, and early yesterday morning the farm invaders blocked the R59 between Johannesburg and Vereeniging.

The group scattered rocks across the highway and pelted vehicles with stones, forcing authorities to divert traffic. Police eventually intervened, firing rubber bullets to disperse the crowd, who fled to nearby settlements.

Nast feels the whole drama could have been averted if authorities had done their job properly in the first place.

“The blockade was a direct result of the SAPS refusing to intervene in stopping the illegal farm invasion”, he fumed yesterday.

“The illegal farm invasions are clearly politically motivated. Midvaal is a DA-controlled municipality, and the ANC is trying to win more votes here by encouraging their members to invade farms in the area. What is worse is that the SAPS is supporting the invasions by not allowing the municipality to act in terms of the law.”

ANC national spokesman Jessie Duarte said the party would never take farm invasions lightly, as it respected the Constitution.

“We have asked the DA to furnish us with straightforward and tangible proof,” said Duarte. “We must all stand together to prevent farm invasions, as a country. If ANC members are behind this we will definitely act against them.”

Gauteng police spokesman Eugene Opperman said the SAPS would certainly try to get to the bottom of what had transpired in Midvaal.

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South Africa discontent spreads

Violence in South Africa's townships has spread as residents protest about what they say is a lack of basic services, such as water and housing.

Police have fired rubber bullets at demonstrators in Johannesburg, the Western Cape and the north-eastern region of Mpumalanga.

In Mpumalanga, there were reports of foreign-owned businesses being looted as foreigners sought police protection.

More than 100 people have been arrested during the past week.

The rising tensions in the townships have revived memories of xenophobic attacks on foreigners last year in which more than 60 people died.

Kwoteer:
ANALYSIS
Jonah Fisher BBC News, Johannesburg What we are seeing is a combination of a series of different factors. South Africa is in the grip of its first recession for 20 years. People in the townships, the poorest people in South Africa, complain that after 15 years of ANC rule they still don't have basic housing, electricity or water. Jacob Zuma put service delivery at the heart of his election campaign and that's in part why he won a big mandate. But a lot of people look at the local level ANC and say they need to start delivering, and they will be looking to Mr Zuma to root out the corruption and nepotism which have prevented service delivery being expanded throughout South Africa.
The latest protests over service delivery come less than 100 days after Jacob Zuma took office as president, following a resounding election victory for the governing African National Congress (ANC).

They are a reminder of the impatience felt in the most deprived areas of the country, says BBC world affairs correspondent Peter Biles.

On Tuesday, police cars were stoned in Thokoza near Johannesburg during a demonstration about living conditions that turned violent.

Nearby township Diepsloot saw cars and houses being burnt last week in protest at plans to tear down makeshift shacks to make way for a sewage pipe.

Poverty pledge

President Jacob Zuma promised to improve service delivery when he came to power in May, and said fighting poverty was his priority, highlighting the huge economic and social challenges facing South Africa.

However, South Africa announced in June that it was facing its worst recession in 17 years.

Fifteen years after the ANC won its first election, more than one million South Africans still live in shacks, many without access to electricity or running water.

The gap between rich and poor is also wider than it was 15 years ago, our correspondent says.

The slow provision of replacement housing has long been controversial - nearly three million have been built, but the allocation has been prone to nepotism and corruption.

In addition, the global economic climate has banished any hope of South Africa maintaining record levels of economic growth, and reducing unemployment.

In the midst of this latest unrest, Mr Zuma is embarking upon a tour of the country to thank voters for returning the ANC to power in the elections last April.

Our correspondent says he will now be under even greater pressure to explain how the ANC is going to meet its plethora of election promises.

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Dienste-vlamme
Jul 21 2009 09:29:57:470PM - (SA)


Betogende inwoners van Balfour in Mpumalanga dans gister om vure en ander versperrings in die strate van di?orp. Foto: Felix Dlangamandla

Verslagspan

Jare lange beloftes van die owerheid van ’n beter lewe met ’n huis, ’n toilet, elektrisiteit en werk wat net nie waar word nie, lê aan die wortel van oproer en geweld gister in Gauteng, Mpumalanga en Noordwes.

Betogers het ou “apartheidswapens” soos klippe en brandende bande ingespan teen die polisie, wat op hul beurt soos “in die ou dae” met rubber-koeëls op hulle losgebrand en traanrook geskiet het.

Winkels van veral buitelanders is ook geplunder.

Daar word gekla, maar niks word gedoen nie, want dienslewering bestaan nie, is die refrein van die inwoners van die Kgakala-township in die Maquassi Hills- munisipale gebied in Noordwes, die Siyathemba-township by Balfour in Mpumalanga en in die nabygeleë Greylingstad, en Thokoza aan die Oos-Rand.

Sowat 140 mense is teen gisteraand deur die polisie in hegtenis geneem.

In Kgakala is ses mense, onder wie ’n vrou, weens openbare geweld en opsetlike saakbeskadiging in hegtenis geneem, het insp. Sam Tselanyane, provinsiale polisiewoordvoerder, gesê. Hulle is almal tussen 20 en 30 jaar oud en het strate afgesper met brandende bande en klippe, berig Linda de Beer.

Van die meestal jeugdiges se klagtes was rioolafval in die strate en vullis wat “berge lê”, maar nie verwyder word nie. Hulle sê dit is al met die munisipaliteit bespreek, maar niks is gedoen om die probleme op te los nie, het Tselanyane gesê.

Mnr. Karel Lehloo, burgemeester van Maquassi Hills, het nie gister op telefoniese boodskappe gereageer nie.

Cobus Coetzee berig uit die Siyathemba-township by Balfour dat inwoners beter dienslewering en die bedanking van mnr. Lefty Tsotetsi, die burgemeester van die Depaliseng-munisipaliteit, eis. Hulle eis ook dat plaaslike inwoners die werk by ’n plaaslike myn moet kry.

“Politici beloof ons die hemel en die aarde, maar kan nie eens die basiese dienste lewer nie,” het me. Flata Ntambo, ’n inwoner, gesê.

Teerpaaie in Siyathemba is vol slaggate en gebreekte kragdrade steek by die grond uit.

Volgens die polisie is meer as 12 ondernemings, wat aan buitelanders behoort, die afgelope twee dae geplunder. Die winkeleienaars skuil by die polisiestasie. Skole het ook nog nie heropen nie en talle mense is te bang om werk toe te gaan.

Sowat 100 mense is reeds die afgelope twee dae weens openbare geweld in hegtenis geneem, het kapt. Leonard Hlathi, polisiewoordvoerder, gesê.

Sowat 11 van hulle is minderjariges. Altesame 58 het reeds voor die landdroshof verskyn en 29 sal vandag.

Polisielede het tot laat gisteraand die township met Nyalas en te voet gepatrolleer terwyl hulle met rubberkoeëls en traangas na betogende inwoners geskiet het.

Twee polisievoertuie is beskadig en inwoners het selfs een Nyala probeer omgooi.

’n Munisipale gebou is ook afgebrand.

Die betoging het ook na Greylingstad oorgespoel, waar munisipale kantore, ’n vragmotor en twee trekkers aan die brand gesteek is.

In Thokoza is plakkate rondgeswaai wat gelui het: “Die AWB was beter as die ANC”; “Ons het gestem vir ’n beter lewe”; en “Ons leef soos varke”, berig Gloria Edwards.

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Op donderdag 23 juli 2009 15:20 schreef ArnoKlaassen het volgende:
idd, dat gebeurt nooit.

In Zuid-afrika heb je blanken (2% van de bevolking), Kaffers (negers, 90% van de bevolking ) en hotknots (echt zwart, 7% van de bevolking), Alle kaffers stemmen zowieso op ANC zonder te kijken

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Op donderdag 23 juli 2009 15:43 schreef Whiskey_Tango het volgende:

[..]

Op ethische gronden na, is er voor Zuid-Afrika niks ergers gebeurd in de recente geschiedenis dan de afschaffing van de Apartheid. Maar durf dat maar eens hard op te zeggen in die kringen

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VUILE RACIST!!!!!!

Mandela
Viva ANC!!

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Muncipal workers burn cars

Traffic flow was halted in Lillian Ngoyi Street as angry fire personnel went on the rampage and set two cars alight on Thursday morning.

It all started with the burning of tires on Lillian Ngoyi Street. A few minutes later the protestors smashed the windows of two cars and set it alight. The cars belonged to Frans Jooste and Gawie Nel of the Fire Department.

All the Police units from Middelburg, as well as units from Witbank and Hendrina were called in for assistance.

Police were about to fire rubber bullets to disperse of the angry protestors but they obeyed a Police instruction to move out of the road and onto the side. The protestors are planning a huge protest on Monday where they will be joined by SAMWU members from Witbank and Hendrina.

Meanwhile, the Municipal decision to fire personnel has caused a family in Avalon to lose their shack on Wednesday night. Flames swallowed it all, as they couldn’t receive any help from the firefighters who was on strike.

All public services came to a halt on Thursday with more disruptions expected over the week. The power failure on Thursday morning was allegedly caused by the protestors.

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Miljoene kan dalk gestrand wees
Jul 24 2009 07:31:53:667PM - (SA)

Meer as 2 miljoen pendelaars landwyd wat van Metrorail se treine gebruik maak, kan van oormôre af gestrand wees as werknemers van die Passasierspooragentskap van Suid-Afrika (Prasa) se dienste dan staak.

Die SA Transport and General Workers Union (Satawu) en die United Transport and Allied Trade Union (Utatu), die vakbonde wat ’n loonverhoging van 12,5% geëis het, het in onderhandelings die afgelope week wel Prasa se aanbod van 7% aanvaar, maar ander eise gestel om ’n staking oormôre af te weer. Die vakbonde het onder meer beter huis- en oortydtoelaes geëis.

“Die bestuur van Prasa en die twee vakbonde is nog in hoëvlak-onderhandelings oor die werknemers se eise, maar ons is optimisties dat ’n oplossing bereik sal word om die staking af te weer,” het mnr. Sibusiso Ngomane, Prasa-woordvoerder, gesê.

Ngomane het gesê as werkers wel oormôre wegbly, sal Prasa seker maak dat die impak minimaal is en dat treindienste nie heeltemal ontwrig word nie.

Die Federasie van Unies van Suid-Afrika (Fedusa) het gister hul gewig agter dié twee vakbonde se stakingsplanne vir volgende week ingegooi.

“Dit gaan ’n wettige staking wees, ons is in besit van ’n kennisgewingbrief wat op die 10de (Julie) uitgereik is, sou die onderhandelings ’n dooiepunt bereik. Prasa kan enige hof nader om die landwye staking af te weer, maar hulle sal dit nie regkry nie,” het mnr. Chris de Vos, hoofsekretaris van Utatu, gesê.

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Xenophobic attacks return
Sally Evans and Nkululeko Ncana Published:Jul 22, 2009

The attacks, which have so far displaced about 100 foreigners living in Balfour, are chillingly similar to the early stages of last year’s xenophobic violence in which 67 people died around the country.

As with last year’s violence, the attacks in Mpumalanga happened under the guise of protests against service delivery. Residents began protesting on Sunday, demanding that local officials address complaints about access to water and electricity, and job opportunities.

But locals soon turned their attention to the foreign business-owners in the Siyathemba township in Balfour.

They looted the businesses of Ethiopian, Pakistani and Chinese shop owners. Several foreigners were assaulted.

Yesterday, about 100 displaced foreigners sought refuge at the Balfour police station. Police were last night still trying to find temporary shelter for them.

Police have arrested 99 residents for public violence.

Zuma’s spokesman, Vincent Magwenya, said last night: “We are yet to corroborate the reports of violence in the service-delivery protest in Mpumalanga. However, the president’s view is that there is no excuse for violence or destruction of property of any sort, including the targeting of foreign nationals.

“President Zuma has on numerous occasions spoken against xenophobia in our country and he will continue to condemn it. The right to protest is not, at all, a licence for violent behaviour.”

Jody Kollapen, chair of the SA Human Rights Commission, said “following last year’s xenophobic violence, an uneasy calm settled and not enough was done to understand the cause of the attacks”.

“I am of the strong view that the violence is a result of socioeconomic ills and a perception among South Africans that they are being marginalised. They see the foreign nationals as unfair competition.”

Kollapen said there had not been a thorough investigation of last year’s violence or prosecution of perpetrators. “This was not enough to send a strong message that it should not happen again,” he said.

The Times reported in February that only 128 of the 1400 suspects arrested for xenophobic attacks were convicted and sentenced.

Kollapen said not enough was done to understand the root causes of the violence.

“Was it xenophobia, was it socioeconomic problems? If these were identified then proper programmes should have been put in place, across the board, from government to civil society,” Kollapen said.

In recent months there had been violence that included attacks on foreigners, he said.

“This is a competition for resources.”

Pakistani grocery store owner Mohamed Waqas, who has lived in Balfour for five years, said: “There was no warning. On Sunday night someone on a loudspeaker [called] for protest action. They then barricaded the road with rocks and the police told us to leave. I feel so bad because we have worked so hard, but now everything is gone … it’s finished.”

Balfour was still tense last night as mobs continued to destroy street signs, buildings and cars. All roads leading to Siyathemba were strewn with rocks, broken glass, mattresses and sign posts.

In nearby Greylingstad, police escorted foreign shop owners to safety as a precaution. In Siyathemba, sporadic violence and looting continued throughout yesterday. Police fired teargas and rubber bullets to disperse groups.

Two municipal buildings were torched, along with a truck and tractor belonging to the local council.

Shortly before looting a store owned by a Chinese resident, a protester told The Times: “The mayor did not give us the right answer to our memorandum [handed over in July demanding access to water and electricity and job opportunities].

“We still have work to do,” he said, pointing to the shops.

Nassir Hairtemam, an Ethiopian who has been in South Africa for seven years, was rescued by police on Sunday when looters ransacked his shop.

“ They came into our shops with stones and pangas. They would’ve killed us,” he said.

Not as fortunate was Melekamu Kachen. The 25-year-old Ethiopian beaten up by a mob and his store destroyed.

Superintendent Meshack Mtsweni, police operational commander in Balfour, said he feared for the lives of foreigners still in Siyathemba. “We cannot leave them in there because they will lose everything.”

Police patrolled Siyathemba last night.

Duncan Breen, spokesman for the Consortium for Refugees and Migrants in South Africa, said there were “escalating problems” in parts of Mpumalanga and Limpopo.

Breen said: “This has been a long established pattern where foreigners are targeted [during service-delivery protests].”

He said locals used this as an excuse to “go out and loot”.

Paul Mbenyane, ANC spokesman in Mpumalanga, said: “It is criminal what is happening. The service-delivery protests might be legitimate, but we suspect that they are being taken over by criminals. What is troubling the ANC in this province is why would people complain about water but then decide to burn down a clinic or a library? Acts of violence against business people and their properties should be seen as acts of criminality and nothing else, and we urge police to bring those implicated to book.”

The Times understands that Minister of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs Sicelo Shiceka will visit Mpumalanga tomorrow. His team is expected to audit all the municipalities in the province.

Mohlalefi Lebotha, spokesman for the Dipaleseng municipality, which includes Balfour and Greylingstad, said a meeting with the protesters was scheduled for today .

He denied service delivery was slow in the municipal area.

“We are implementing several projects for infrastructure development. It’s not like nothing is happening.

“We are concerned because we believe criminal elements are using the protests for their own agenda,” he said.