Western Cape Anti-Eviction Campaign Explained
The Western Cape Anti-Eviction Campaign was a non-racial[1] popular movement[2] made up of poor and oppressed communities in Cape Town, South Africa.[3] [4] It was formed in November 2000[5] with the aim of fighting evictions, water cut-offs and poor health services, obtaining free electricity, securing decent housing, and opposing police brutality.[6] [7] [8] [9]
The movement was the first of the first generation of so-called 'new social movements' to spring up after the end of apartheid and was known for its direct action style militancy, its refusal of all forms of vanguardism, including NGO (Non-Governmental Organisations) authoritarianism.[4] [10] [11] [12] The movement sought to retain its autonomy from NGOs[13] and publicly refused to work with some local NGOs[14] and insisted that the middle class left respect the autonomy of grassroots movements.
The AEC was a founding member of the Poor People's Alliance and, along with the other members of the alliance, refused all electoral politics and encouraged the development of popular power rather than voting for political parties.[12] [15] [16] [17]
The AEC mobilised against the 2008 xenophobic attacks in the areas where it was strong.[18] [19] [20]
The AEC opposed evictions related to the FIFA 2010 World Cup.[21]
Communities
The AEC is currently an umbrella body for over 10 community organisations,[22] crisis committees, and concerned residents movements who have come together to organise and demand their rights to basic services.[23] The organisations that make up the AEC include but are not limited to:
Affiliated movements and committees in the Western Cape:
Coordinators
The Western Cape Anti-Eviction Campaign had an umbrella structure with an executive committee of a chairperson, a vice chairperson, a secretary, a vice secretary, a treasurer, and five regional coordinators.[26] [27]
Activities
The AEC opposes evictions and water and electricity cut-offs[28] on many different levels.[4] Activities range from legal actions that challenge the constitutionality of evictions,[29] to mass mobilisation and popular education initiatives, to organisation and capacity building programs.[8] [12] The movement has also confronted local gangs and in July 2012 one of its leading activists, Soraya Nordien, was murdered following threats from gang members.[30]
Campaigns
Since its inception, the Anti-Eviction Campaign (AEC) has called for an end to all evictions and cut-offs of basic services in the Western Cape.[4] [31] In 2001, the AEC achieved a 6-month moratorium on all evictions in the Cape Town Unicity.[32] [33] Even though the DA had declared the moratorium, illegal evictions continued.[34]
The movement strongly supported the struggle for the Symphony Way Pavement Dwellers to resist forced removal to the notorious Blikkiesdorp transit camp and to demand access to decent housing.[35]
No Land! No House! No Vote! is the name of a campaign by autonomous grassroots movements to boycott elections and reject party politics and vote banking in South Africa. In 2009, the Poor People's Alliance voted to boycott the national elections under the No Land! No House! No Vote! Banner.[4] [36] [37]
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was connected to a large number of evictions in South Africa which many claimed were meant to 'beautify the city'.[38] [39] [40] The WC-AEC campaigned against all evictions caused by the event. The campaign's hotspots included the anti-gentrification issues in Gympie Street and other parts of Woodstock,[41] [42] the national N2 Gateway housing project and its evictions in Joe Slovo and Delft,[43] Sea Point evictions, and evictions in Q-Town next to Athlone Stadium.
The movement is committed to opposing xenophobia and has been particularly active in this regard in Gugulethu[44] where it has set up a forum[45] for these issues to be discussed. According to both the media[46] and the local police[47] the forum has had considerable success in reducing xenophobic hostility. However the movement's anti-xenophobic work has cost it some popular support and resulted in an arson attack on one of the movement's leaders.[48]
The movement produces its own media.[49]
Poor People's Alliance
In September 2008 the Western Cape Anti-Eviction Campaign, together with Abahlali baseMjondolo, the Landless People's Movement and the Rural Network (Abahlali baseplasini) formed the Poor People's Alliance.[50] [51] The poor people's alliance refused electoral politics under the banner 'No Land! No House! No Vote!'.[12] [52] It has been reported that "Nearly 75% of South Africans aged 20-29 did not vote in the 2011 [local government] elections" and that "South Africans in that age group were more likely to have taken part in (sic) violent street protests against the local ANC than to have voted for the ruling party".[53]
Influence
Take Back the Land[54] in Miami and the Chicago Anti-Eviction Campaign[55] [56] [57] [58] have both stated that their work is inspired by that of the Western Cape Anti-Eviction Campaign. The Chicago Anti-Eviction Campaign has used the slogan 'No House No Vote'.[59]
See also
Films and Books
External links
Notes and References
- http://allafrica.com/stories/201103171045.html Manyi and Manuel – Why Apartheid Didn't Die
- http://www.leadershiponline.co.za/articles/politics/1161-sas-angry-poor The flames of Phaphamani
- http://www.waronwant.org/overseas-work/informal-economy/anti-eviction-in-south-africa Anti-eviction in South Africa
- http://www.thenation.com/article/fighting-foreclosure-south-africa Fighting Foreclosure in South Africa
- http://abahlali.org/files/Oldfield%20&%20Stokke%20WCAEC%20Research%20Report.pdf Building unity in diversity: Social movement activism in the Western Cape Anti-Eviction Campaign
- http://antieviction.org.za/2010/12/06/re-launch-of-the-western-cape-aec-focuses-on-a-renewed-coordinated-fight-against-evictions-water-cutoffs-electricity-cutoffs-and-for-decent-housing-for-all/ Re-launch of the Western Cape AEC focuses on a renewed coordinated fight against evictions, water cutoffs, electricity cutoffs and for decent housing for all!
- http://www.capetownmagazine.com/whats-the-deal-with/Whats-the-Deal-With-Toyitoyi/125_22_17384 What's the Deal With the Toyi-Toyi?
- http://www.mg.co.za/article/2010-12-23-on-the-other-side-of-mountain On the Other Side of the Mountain
- http://antieviction.org.za/related-writing-and-resources/housing-battles-in-post-apartheid-south-africa-the-case-of-mandela-park-khayelitsha/ Housing battles in post-Apartheid South Africa: The Case of Mandela Park, Khayelitsha
- http://www.indymedia.org/el/2007/12/897831.shtml South African Grassroots Movements Rebel Against NGO Authoritarianism
- http://abahlali.org/node/585 Rethinking Public Participation from Below
- http://ceasefiremagazine.co.uk/columns/the-anti-imperialist/the-anti-imperialist-south-africa-a-revolution-in-progress/ South Africa: A Revolution in Progress
- http://abahlali.org/files/Oldfield%20&%20Stokke%20WCAEC%20Research%20Report.pdf Building unity in diversity: Social movement activism in the Western Cape Anti-Eviction Campaign
- http://www.indymedia.org/el/2007/12/897831.shtml South African Grassroots Movements Rebel Against NGO Authoritarianism
- http://www.capetimes.co.za/index.php?fArticleId=4780755 See the article 'Anti Eviction Campaign urges poor to boycott elections' by Aziz Hartley, Cape Times, 5 January 2009
- http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/9282
- http://dailymaverick.co.za/article/2012-07-02-analysis-the-das-battle-to-buddy-up-to-the-everyman The DA's battle to buddy up to the everyman
- http://www.vocfm.co.za/index.php?section=news&category=vocnews&article=48045 Deal aims to stop xenophobia
- http://antieviction.org.za/2009/08/24/aec-and-stakeholders-in-recent-anti-xenophobia-negotiations-head-to-parliament-today/ AEC and stakeholders in recent anti-xenophobia negotiations head to parliament today
- http://mg.co.za/article/2009-06-19-xenophobia-still-smoulders-in-cape-townships Xenophobia still smoulders in Cape townships
- http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/africa/10205455.stm South Africans fight eviction for World Cup car park
- http://antieviction.org.za/about-us/ About Us: Western Cape Anti-Eviction Campaign
- http://www.waronwant.org/overseas-work/informal-economy/anti-eviction-in-south-africa Anti-eviction in South Africa
- http://allafrica.com/stories/201110281069.html Cape Town Administration Violates the Rights of the Poor
- Jared Sacks . On Militancy, Self-reflection, and the Role of the Researcher . Politikon . 45 . 3 . 438–455 . 20 September 2018 . 10.1080/02589346.2018.1523349 . 150093217 .
- http://antieviction.org.za/2010/12/06/re-launch-of-the-western-cape-aec-focuses-on-a-renewed-coordinated-fight-against-evictions-water-cutoffs-electricity-cutoffs-and-for-decent-housing-for-all/ Re-launch of the Western Cape AEC focuses on a renewed coordinated fight against evictions, water cutoffs, electricity cutoffs and for decent housing for all!
- http://antieviction.org.za/western-cape-anti-eviction-campaign-detailed-contact-list/ Contact List
- Muller . Gustav . Restoring electricity use with the spoliation remedy: A critical comment on Eskom Holdings SOC Ltd v Masinda . Pretoria Student Law Review . 2019 . 13 . 1–16 .
- Muller . Gustav . Evicting unlawful occupiers for health and safety reasons in post-apartheid South Africa . South African Law Journal . 2015 . 132 . 616–638 .
- http://www.sacsis.org.za/site/article/1362 Helen Zille's Hopeless Handling of Cape Gang Violence
- News: Stop Forced Removals & Evictions! Stop Privatisation!. Land Research Action Network.
- http://jas.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/41/1-2/95 Subjectivity, Politics and Neoliberalism in Post-apartheid Cape Town
- News: Fighting Foreclosure in South Africa . The Nation. United States.
- News: WESTERN CAPE ANTI-EVICTION COMMITTEE PRESS STATEMENT.
- News: Delft-Symphony Pavement Dwellers building a new world – one child at a time.
- News: "No Vote" Campaigns are not a Rejection of Democracy. Mail and Guardian.
- News: Anti Eviction Campaign urges poor to boycott elections . Cape Times.
- http://o.seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/worldcup/2012084369_soccersaf11.html South Africa's poor complain of evictions as country prepares to host World Cup
- News: In South Africa, evicted residents struggle. Bay State Banner. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20100913072934/http://www.baystatebanner.com/world19-2008-07-10. 13 September 2010.
- http://mondediplo.com/2008/05/13southafrica Le Monde Diplomatique
- News: Gympie Street evictions . BushRadio.
- News: This is not a game!.
- News: Call to demonstrate at constitutional court. Joe Slovo Task Team.
- http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=47285 'Xenophobia Still Smouldering' by Mandisi Majavu, IPS, 19 June 2009
- http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=3069&art_id=vn20090707052329645C240973 Gugulethu, traders to hold follow-up meeting
- http://www.sowetan.co.za/News/Article.aspx?id=1012767 'Xenophobic tensions in Gugulethu calm down', Anna Majavu, The Sowetan, 5 June 2009
- http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=13&art_id=nw20090615195308848C865193 Independent Online, 'You could see the anger in their eyes', Caryn Dolley, 15 June 2009
- http://sds.ukzn.ac.za/default.php?2,6,684,4,0 Chance, K. (2010) The Work of violence:a timeline of armed attacks at Kennedy Road
- Social Movement Media in Post-Apartheid South Africa, by Wendy Willems,Encyclopaedia of Social Movement Media (Ed. John D. H. Downing, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, 2011)
- http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2009/01/12/18562116.php The Struggle for Land & Housing in Post-Apartheid South Africa by Toussaint Losier, Left Turn, January 2009
- http://www.zcommunications.org/znet/viewArticle/21529 'Participatory Society: Urban Space & Freedom', by Chris Spannos, Z-Net, 29 May 2009
- The alliance, and its position on electoral politics, is mentioned in the speech by S'bu Zikode at http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/12/415682.html
- http://mg.co.za/article/2013-01-29-deep-read-anc-risks-losing-born-free-voters Deep Read: 'Born free' voters may not choose ANC
- http://www.takebacktheland.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=99:take-back-the-land-in-south-africa&catid=1:latest-news&Itemid=60 Take Back the Land in South Africa
- http://chicagoantieviction.org/ Chicago Anti-Eviction Campaign
- http://www.mg.co.za/article/2010-12-23-fear-and-loathing-in-obamaland Fear and loathing in Obamaland
- http://chicagoantieviction.org/2012/02/february-rent-party-fundraiser-for.html February "Rent Party" Fundraiser for Freedom
- https://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/02/magazine/how-chicagos-housing-crisis-ignited-a-new-form-of-activism.html?_r=2&pagewanted=all& The Death and Life of Chicago
- http://inthesetimes.com/uprising/entry/13663/whos_house_our_house_chicago_communities_hold_meeting_to_demand_eviction_mo/ Chicago Communities Demand Eviction Moratorium