This Global Action, with people calling in from the United States, India, Belgium, the UK and others, also included a protest in London at the South African Embassy.
“I called because no one should have their home stolen from them, especially not by their own Government" reported Anna Collins of the UK.
Activists from “Occupy COP17", who came to Durban for the COP17 conference, had developed a close relationship with the community. “In our General Assembly, someone told us of how a community had been illegally evicted because of the COP17, so we called them." said Kevin Buckland of 350.org, “two days later, some of us from Occupy COP17 went to meet with them. As soon as we arrived we were moved to tears by hearing about the injustice that had occurred. They told us their story on the very place where there houses had stood just weeks before. Now all that was left were piles of broken roofing and scattered objects."
On the last day of the COP17 Climate Change Conference, community members attended a “Vigil For Climate Justice" just outside the ICC Center where the Climate Negotiations were being held. At the vigil, they shared their story and young members from the community performed a play reenacting the illegal eviction. Many of the people who witnessed the performance were among those to call-in on Friday. Community member Jabulilie Mdlalose said “They destroyed our houses. They destroy our lives. They took our food. They took out clothes. They took everything from us. And they said we are messing up the place because of the COP17. Today we don't have a shelter. "
“Now that we have met them and heard their story," said Buckland “we cannot let them suffer alone, and we will not abandon. Councillor Lucky Mdlalose: people all over the world will be watching how you act on this. We will stand by our friends from KwaMashu until justice is served."
This community of 31 families had originally been evicted in 2007 to build a road for the World Cup. They were given no alternative housing and eventually built homes in KwaMashu, District 7. On November 23rd the community, consisting mostly of women and children, were illegally evicted without an eviction order and without an assessment required by the PIE act of 1998.
Shortly after the illegal eviction the community appealed to local authorities to let them sleep in a public hall. They were barred from entering the hall, and so, having nowhere else to go, they returned to the site where there homes had been and huddled under plastic sheets. In the torrential rainstorm that night, one man, Mwempi Caka, caught a chill and died soon after. The community has until now received no attention from local authorities despite attempts to deliver legal documents and repeated requests for meetings. Read the full report here.
Source: Kevin Buckland, 350.org.
