Anti-Eviction update: UCT international conference collects
Western Cape Anti-Eviction Campaign Press Statement
Wednesday July 10th 2002
2pm
Source : http://www.antieviction.org.za/
International Conference at UCT collects thousands for Mandela Park arrested people!
The Anti-Eviction Campaign was delighted to be presented with almost R4000 this morning, collected by international delegates to the International Society for Third Sector Research Conference, which was held at the University of Cape Town from 7th to 10th July 2002.
The ISTR is the world's most important association of global scholars of civil society. It is currently hosting its international conference in Cape Town. Many of the ISTR's members are leading scholars on the world stage with major international reputations.
The conference was horrified that just two days after hearing a moving
speech by the Chairperson of the Mandela Park Anti-Eviction Campaign, the police launched an assault on the community, jailing, beating and abusing 14 people including four women and a minor.
Over 52 ISTR delegates from USA, Germany, UK, Estonia, Ecuador, Denmark, Ghana, Northern Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Austria and Sweden signed a petition condemning the arrest of members of the Mandela Park Anti-Eviction Committee for protesting against the repossession of clothes from a pensioner to off set a small debt for water.
The delegates also condemned "the illegal incarceration of a minor in an adult cell, the violent assault on the protestors by the police during their arrest and incarceration, the denial of medical treatment to seriously injured protestors while in prison, the threatening of the protestors' lawyer at gunpoint, and the violation of the constitutional rights of Thulani Kamana with regard to the rights of detained people to access a lawyer and make a phone call."
The delegates have all vowed to return to their countries and lobby
government ministers about the increasing problems of evictions and police brutality in South Africa.
The Western Cape Anti-Eviction Campaign is pleased that, despite an
interdict by six banks, and despite the continued refusal of ANC MEC of Housing Nomatyala Hangana, to meet the poor residents and pensioners of Mandela Park around their housing problems, residents are refusing to be evicted. The Campaign would like to thank the ISTR Conference, the Gauteng Anti-Privatisation Forum, and the Concerned Citizens Forum of KwaZulu-Natal for rallying around the Mandela Park Anti-Eviction Committee and offering their support during the arrests.
The MPAEC has laid charges against all the police who assaulted them and an update will be available soon.
../ends
For comment from the AEC call Max on 073 1546555 and for comment from the ISTR contact Saranel Benjamin of the University of Natal-Durban's Centre for Civil Society on 083 7775826
2002 / -0 / 7-
|
