SACP Gauteng to challenge Johannesburg Metro Polices refusal to grant permission to stage Annual Red October Campaign protest march today, 18th October 2013
18 October 2013
SACP Gauteng vows to fight and challenge the unlawful and unjustifiable refusal by the Johannesburg Metro Police to grant permission to stage a protest march on Friday, 18th October 2013. The protest march to be directed against the South African Banking Council, Standard Bank and its client Johannesburg Housing Company (JHC) is part of the 2013 Annual Red October Campaign that focuses on the financial sector.
The Johannesburg Metro Police Department (JMPD) presented the SACP with clumsy reasons to justify their decision, basing such a decision on the previous protest march of the SACP Linda Jabane District when it led informal settlements and working class areas in Johannesburg to demand housing and fight evictions by housing monopolies such as JHC.
The SACP vows to fight the JMPD decision on all fronts, using both political and legal tactical approaches. At a political level, the SACP has already brought this matter to the attention of the Alliance, in particular the African National Congress (ANC) as the leader of the Alliance.
At a legal level, the SACP has appointed Seleka Attorneys to make a fresh application to legally challenge the JMPD and ensure that the activity proceeds on Friday, 25th October 2013.
The SACP also strongly condemns the Apartheid style bullying tactics of Mr Vermaak, the lawyer of the notorious housing monopoly, JHC, who has been intimidating and harassing SACP members, even to a point of physically threatening them during permit discussions with JMPD.
We are confident that the working class will finally prevail over this fascist remnant of the long decayed Apartheid state and his puppet masters in JHC. We will defeat this neo-fascists and conservative right-wing forces that are currently in possession of the stolen property of the evicted and now homeless working class and poor people of Newtown Housing Village in Fordsburg, Johannesburg.
Lenasia Housing Demolition: Laying of complaint with office of Public Protector
The SACP welcomes the decision of the people of Lenasia through their Concerned Residents Committee to formally launch a complaint with the Office of the Public Protector, Thuli Madonsela.
We call on the Public Protector to ensure that swift action is taken upon receipt of the complaint from this peaceful working class community that has shown maximum confidence in organs of the democratic state.
The complaint request the Public Protector to investigate reasons and causes for unfair administrative action based on the fact that those mandated to resolve their case, have to date made no progress except false public claims and misleading statements.
The SACP believe that justice delayed is justice denied. We support this approach given the fact that to date as we approach a full year since the barbaric housing demolitions, there is no progress on the matter.
Bekkersdal service delivery protests
The SACP reaffirms its principled position that the people of Bekkersdals demands are legitimate and deserve political dialogue and democratic engagement.
We believe that such a process of engagement is consistent with the rich and revolutionary traditions of our country that only dialogue and robust negotiations can yield positive and sustainable results.
The SACP calls on the people of Bekkersdal to give negotiations and dialogue a chance, and to refrain from acts of violence and destruction of property.
Arrest of suspected criminals in Diepsloot
The SACP commend swift and decisive action by our law enforcement agencies to arrest lumpen forces involved in heinous and barbaric crimes against innocent children in Diepsloot. We also welcome similar swift action by police in Katlehong, Ekhuruleni in a case involving the death of innocent children.
We further commend the working class for their decisive communal action, partnering with police as forces of the democratic state, in an expression of peoples power, to make this qualitative advance in the fight against crime.
This is consistent with our revolutionary traditions that only the people acting collectively under revolutionary leadership can they truly liberate themselves from all contradictions and problems they face.
The SACP calls on all working class communities and poor people to work closely with police to fight and confront criminal elements, and not to take the law into their own hands. Only in this way can we guarantee the safety of our people, especially vulnerable groups such as women, children, the elderly and people with disabilities.
Issued on behalf of the SACP Gauteng Province
Contact:
Mamabolo Jacob: Provincial Secretary: 082 884 1868
Lucian Segami: Provincial Spokesperson: 079 522 0098
