Quote of the week
Universal adult suffrage on a common voters roll is one of the foundational values of our entire constitutional order. The achievement of the franchise has historically been important both for the acquisition of the rights of full and effective citizenship by all South Africans regardless of race, and for the accomplishment of an all-embracing nationhood. The universality of the franchise is important not only for nationhood and democracy. The vote of each and every citizen is a badge of dignity and of personhood. Quite literally, it says that everybody counts. In a country of great disparities of wealth and power it declares that whoever we are, whether rich or poor, exalted or disgraced, we all belong to the same democratic South African nation; that our destinies are intertwined in a single interactive polity.
August and Another v Electoral Commission and Others (CCT8/99) [1999] ZACC 3
Abahlali baseMjondolo 12 acquitted: statement
Press statement of Bishop Rubin Phillip on the acquittal of the ‘Kennedy 12’
Victory for Abahlali baseMjondolo – Defeat of our detractors!
We celebrate the victory that the shack-dwellers’ movement, Abahlali baseMjondolo, has won in court today where ALL of the ‘Kennedy 12’ have finally been acquitted of ALL charges against them.
For three years, since the violent attacks on Kennedy Road in 2009, we have stood side-by-side with the accused and with Abahlali while this politically-motivated and unjust process has dragged on. We are humbled by the perseverance of Abahlali, who have remained united, remained strong, and remained steadfast throughout. Theirs is the moral strength of those who know who they are, who know what they stand for, and who steadfastly know and speak the truth.
Abahlali’s victory today is a victory for all who speak the truth; it is a victory that should give courage to the poor of eThekweni, of South Africa, and the world who organise and mobilise together, and who speak and act for themselves.
That is never an easy path and it seems always to provoke slander and violence from the powerful and the rich, and from those who would rather speak FOR the poor than listen. But is the path of truth and justice, and we would all do well to listen respectfully and offer our solidarity to their struggles.
In granting the application to acquit the accused, the Magistrate noted that the testimonies and ‘evidence’ brought to sustain the charges was not just ‘unsatisfactory’ and ‘contradictory’ – but suspicious too. Indeed, during the coming months we must face the uncomfortable questions this case has raised.
In particular, we must face questions concerning the role of political parties in condoning – perhaps even actively and covertly engineering – the violent suppression of independent movements of the poor; questions about the complicity of middle-class professional ‘activists’, academics, and ‘researchers’ who have systematically amplified the lies of the state against Abahlali, added their own lies, and launched slanderous attacks against the movement and it’s supporters, myself included.
But today, we celebrate and give thanks that justice has been done.
Bishop Rubin Phillip,
Diocese of Natal of the Anglican Church of Southern Africa.
18 July 2011
Statement issued by Abahlali baseMjondolo, July 18 2011
