Abahlali mourn Freedom Day

APRIL 27 is Freedom Day, a national public holiday in South Africa that marks the anniversary of the first election held after the end of apartheid in 1994.

While millions of South Africans celebrated on Saturday, Abahlali base Mjondolo (shack dwellers) held its annual Unfreedom Day Rally, at Thekwini TVET College on Sunday to mourn what was supposed to be a revolution to bring real freedom for all. According to Abahlali, they have no reason to celebrate freedom, when millions of people remain impoverished while the politicians and their families grow richer by the day.

In a new and potentially significant development, the leaders of the National Union of Metalworkers (NUMSA), the largest trade union in the country, and the South African Federation of Trade Unions (SAFTU), attended the UnFreedom Day rally for the first time.Strong statements of solidarity were made in support of migrants and LGBTI+ community, and a strong commitment was expressed to build women’s power and to build unity between struggles at the workplace and in communities. There was also a strong commitment to a revolutionary alternative to capitalism, premised on community control of land and other resources, and worker control of production.

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While the the organisation said it would always acknowledge and salute those who were part of the struggle, especially all those ordinary people whose names will never be known to history. Abahlali baseMjondolo President, S’bu Zikode said: “We have no reason to celebrate this so-called ‘freedom’ while we live in indignity. We have no reason to celebrate ‘freedom’ while we have no land. We have no reason to celebrate ‘freedom’ when we have no jobs, or jobs that keep us exploited and poor. We have no reason to celebrate ‘freedom’ when many of us remain without safe and dignified homes, and continually at the mercy of evictions, fires and floods in our shacks. We have no reason to celebrate ‘freedom’ when we are ruled by gangster politicians. We have no reason to celebrate ‘freedom’ when the ruling party, the ANC, continues to murder our members during protests and evictions, and to assassinate our leaders,” said Zikode.

“The democracy only covers those who are rich and those who are favoured by capitalism and have money. They are a minority. The majority are poor but it is like we are invisible. Those of us still in shacks cannot enjoy freedom, we are worried about surviving,” added Mmiseli Khondlo, a member of Abahlali baseMjondolo.

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