Western Cape total shutdown planned for Tuesday

File photo: African News Agency (ANA)

File photo: African News Agency (ANA)

Published Sep 22, 2018

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A Western Cape Total Shutdown is planned for Tuesday, from 5am to 10am, the Western Cape Total Shutdown Communities said in a statement on Saturday.

Using slogans such as "Forward To People's Power Forward!!!" and "A United Working Class Shall Never Be Defeated!!!", they said "working-class communities from Bellville, Bishop Lavis, Bonteheuwel, Langa, Steenberg, Manenberg, Nyanga, Hanover Park, Flamingo, Freedom Square, Samora Machel, Phillipi, Mitchells Plain, Khayelitsha, Kensington, Factreton, Heideveld, Delft, Kraaifontein, Ottery, Ruiterwacht as well as Saftu and local shop stewards from various trade unions in our communities are busy preparing for a Western Cape Total Shutdown… 

"Our communities shall come out as a united working class saying enough is enough and demand that our voice be heard. We shall do this through reclaiming our streets on the day, which will have an impact on the economy." 

The full statement read: "Since the fall of Apartheid nothing has changed much for our working-class communities. Our people continue to live in abject poverty, are facing unprecedented levels of unemployment and violence, cannot afford food and basic necessities such as water, electricity and transport and added to this we live in overcrowded communities because of a lack of decent housing. 

"Further to this, the high levels of corruption in the public and private sector is exacerbating the poor's plight as resources which is meant to improve the lives of the poor is being stolen by thugs in suits and boardrooms leaving the poor to die of hunger and violence. Our communities are saying enough is enough we are taking back our power and mobilising to govern ourselves as those meant to serve on our behalf have proven themselves untrustworthy and unaccountable to us, the working class.

"It is against this backdrop that working-class communities from Bellville, Bishop Lavis, Bonteheuwel, Langa, Steenberg, Manenberg, Nyanga, Hanover Park, Flamingo, Freedom Square, Samora Machel, Phillipi, Mitchells Plain, Khayelitsha, Kensington, Factreton, Heideveld, Delft, Kraaifontein, Ottery, Ruiterwacht as well as Saftu and local shop stewards from various trade unions in our communities are busy preparing for a Western Cape Total Shutdown. 

"Our movement has been spurred on by the lack of unity in our various communities where certain groupings or formations are exclusionary and or issue or sector focussed, thereby lacking the need and capacity to address all socioeconomic issues faced by poor communities on a local and national level.

"The Western Cape Shutdown Movement is a non-partisan and non-sectarian working-class movement that is owned and lead by our working class communities.  It is grounded in democratic grassroots practices and processes which is lead from the bottom up and owned by communities.

"Our movement aims to mobilise and unite our working class communities and build solidarity for our cause which is fighting violence, poverty, inequality, racism and neo-liberalism by creating a better, safer, healthier and equal society.

"We are in the process of listening to the voices of our people through gathering the demands from community to community. These demands will be consolidated as we move forward and will form the basis of our engagement with government.

"We shall have a Western Cape Total Shutdown on Tuesday 25 September 2018 between 05h00 and 10h00 where our communities shall come out as a united working class saying enough is enough and demand that our voice b heard. We shall do this through reclaiming our streets on the day, which will have an impact on the economy.  

"It is our aim to continuously work on drawing in all urban, peri-urban and rural working class communities to participate to be part of our movement and our fight for the poor and marginalised."

Contact persons: Henriette Abrahams 076 378 3842; Gatto Wanza 072 711 6622; Yaseen Johaar 084 972 8405.

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