Durban - Abahlali baseMjondolo members marched to the City Hall in Durban on Monday where they delivered their proposals on the Land Amendment Bill. The shackdwellers' movement once again made firm their belief that land should not be turned into private property but instead belonged to everyone.
"Abahlali’s position is that land should be seen as a public good and not as private property and as a commodity. Land should be made a ‘right’ and not a form of property. We also do not agree that the state must own the land on behalf of the people because the state itself in its current form cannot be trusted. Land must be distributed to the people, and managed, on a democratic basis," the movement said in a statement issued after the march.
According to Abahlali, they agree to the ‘expropriation of land without compensation’ proposal.
"However, we do not agree that land must be taken from white elites and be given to black elites. This will have not make a fundamental change to the deep inequalities and oppression that exist in this country. We cannot trust the ANC, or any of the political parties in parliament, to ensure that land is distributed to the people on a fair and democratic basis. There is no party in parliament that represents the interests of the impoverished, that refuses corruption, that is committed to revolutionary democracy, and is willing to be lead," the movement said.
Furthermore, Abahlali added that, as a movement, they did not believe that land should be turned into private property and be bought and sold.
"We believe that land is a gift, that needs to be shared, worked, lived on and managed in common. We have always taken the position that the social value of land must be considered before its commercial value. We have also always insisted on the full and equal inclusion of women in the land question. Women have been side-lined over the decades when it comes to the distribution and management of land, including land under traditional authority in rural areas," the group said.
As the march set off, there were claims of violence in lower Umbilo as marchers reportedly clashed with security.
According to police, they were on hand to monitor the march.
#sapsKZN #SAPS & law enforcement are monitoring a march in the Durban CBD along Dr Pexley KaSeme towards the City Hall. #PoliceVisibility ME pic.twitter.com/gcx7XUH9Eq
— SA Police Service (@SAPoliceService) February 24, 2020