We appeal for the urgent intervention of the UNHRC!
GLEBELANDS HOSTEL COMMUNITY
PRESS STATEMENT
Private security company, Secureco vehicles’ static deployment at Block 57 Glebelands Hostel 13 April 2016. Since December 2015, two vehicles each have been witnessed parked permanently on a daily basis at Blocks 52 and 57, and one vehicle at Block O. Members of the community who in December requested Secureco guards to patrol the entire hostel and provide security for ALL residents were told by Secureco staff: “If you want security you must ask at the office.” Since the withdrawal of municipal staff and closure of the Hostel Superintendent’s office in November 2015, the only “office” open for residents to raise issues, is that of the Ward 76 Ward Councilor, Robert Mzobe. According to SAPS management, at a meeting convened by the Public Protector in February 2016 to discuss security measures at Glebelands, the private security deployed at Glebelands by the eThekwini Municipality – for an undisclosed amount of ratepayers money – is to “secure state assets.” It must be concluded therefore, that the Secureco vehicles’ permanent presence at Blocks 52, 57 and O – blocks that contain a large number of suspected killers, hijackers and politically-connected thugs believed to be responsible for most of the violence since 2014 – are therefore considered “state assets.”
We appeal for the urgent intervention of the United Nations Human Rights Council and call for the eyes of the world on Glebelands
On Saturday night another comrade was killed.
Community leader, Zodwa Sibiya was shot in the head at Block L. She had been a well-respected member of the community and ANC PR councilor who was closely associated with the late ANC Glebelands Chairperson, Richard Mbona – himself assassinated on 6 November 2015.
Sibiya’s brutal killing brings to 62 the number now dead in the Glebelands slaughter. Twelve people have been tortured or killed by police; over 1 000 legal tenants violently evicted, displaced and left destitute, affecting, not only the more than 40 000-strong Glebelands community, but also rural communities across the E Cape and S KZN. Unemployment amongst the affected community has now reached approximately 90%. Many are beginning to starve; all are severely traumatised.
This cannot continue.
The Public Protector’s investigation into the violence is greatly welcomed, but there are very real concerns her findings may be disregarded – as appears the case in the wake of the Constitutional Court’s recent ruling regarding this Chapter 9 institution. Furthermore, the investigation will take a minimum of three months to conclude. During periods of a similar duration over the past two years, up to fourteen people have lost their lives. Since the initiation of the Public Protector’s investigation, seven people have already been killed. A new hitlist believed to contain 21 names has been in circulation since February this year. Although the highly effective National Intervention Unit from outside of KZN has been redeployed to Glebelands – and their return welcomed with relief by the community – while the cancerous kleptocratic roots of the violence remain firmly embedded in local, regional and provincial politics and ethnic differences are used to divide our community and fuel hatred, the slaughter will not stop. The upcoming local government elections can only make matters worse.
Although we remain committed to any intervention that may end our persecution – recent undertakings by representatives of the MEC for Transport, Community Safety and Liaison’s office and churches, to recommence the “five-a-side” negotiation process that was stopped before the May 2014 national elections and not resumed, we wish to point out that the suspected killers’ representatives, despite committing to this peace initiative previously, continued their involvement in the violence, sometimes only hours after these meetings. We believe that another such initiative, having been attempted three times previously, has repeatedly proved to be inadequate and insufficiently independent to end the violence and redress those affected. We are also extremely concerned that our participation in yet another ‘peace process’ of the same nature may further endanger our lives as risks to our safety have escalated substantially since our participation in the first round of ‘talks’ as demonstrated by the two hitlists, most of our members who were believed to have been on the first hitlist have already been killed. We also fear that such engagements may not be held at a neutral location – due to certain SAPS’ members widely suspected involvement in the violence and many instances of police torture – we do not feel secure at police offices. Furthermore, we experience extreme difficulty attending meetings as our freedom of movement has been curtailed by the dangerous “no-go zones” through which, if we move, we risk being shot. It must also be emphasized that during the first of these “five-a-side” meetings on 13 April 2014, representatives of the group who had brutally attacked and evicted a former Block 57 chairperson earlier the same day, had, in the presence of police members at the time, stated “No one can stop this project.” During the earlier attack, community members who had led the violence told residents that there was nothing for them to fear as the former Police Minister, Nathi Mthethwa and management of the Umlazi SAPS police station; Ward 76 Councillor, Robert Mzobe; the hostel superintendent, Xolani Mbali; and former ANC Branch Secretary, Philani Mthimkhulu, were all aware of their actions.
This, and many other experiences to date, convince us that our persecution – seemingly orchestrated and fueled by our ward councilor and executed by thugs and their police friends who seek to divide us by fueling ethnic hatred against us and who continue to act with impunity – seems to be sanctioned at local, regional and provincial government levels and by certain officials within the eThekwini Municipality who, in turn, appear protected at a high level, we suspect, to protect political and personal financial interests.
Since 2009 our many attempts to escalate our concerns, even to national level, have consistently been ignored, or referred back to provincial structures for investigation and action. We cannot continue this vicious circle and wait until the last person standing has been shot down and the last woman and child are chased from their homes.
GLEBELANDS APPEALS TO THE UNHRC
After having now exhausted all avenues available to end the violence – those of us targeted for assassination, those evicted, those tortured, those whose names are believed to be on the new hitlist, all who have been living on borrowed time for the past 25 blood soaked months – have taken the unprecedented decision to appeal for the intervention of the highest human rights authority in the world – the United Nation Human Rights Council (UNHRC). We also call for the urgent attention of the international community to our unbearable suffering and unspeakable violence that has been visited upon our community since March 2014.
We call for:
- The UNHRC to assign a Special Rapporteur to urgently investigate human rights abuses at Glebelands Hostel specifically, and more broadly across South Africa;
- The UNHRC to immediately send UN Observers to Glebelands Hostel, and also deploy Observers widely across South Africa, ahead of the local government elections in August;
- The UNHRC and international community to bring pressure on our government to support, empower and ensure the independence and powers of oversight institutions;
- The UNHRC to initiate and provide long-term support for a healing programme for the thousands of people both within the Glebelands community and those in the rural areas who have been severely affected by the psychological trauma caused by years of sustained violence to bring peace and reconciliation.
- The UNHRC and international community to assist us with urgently needed food, health, housing and legal assistance for the affected community at Glebelands and our rural families who have suffered the loss of vital breadwinners;
- All progressive entities and individuals, both nationally and internationally, to support us and help build solidarity and unity among all poor communities who are suffering similarly;
- Members within the Glebelands community and state structures such as the police, to remember their roots in their communities, to reject corruption and political interference and not allow themselves to be used as weapons of violence against their own people.
It must be stressed that no lasting peace initiative can be successful until criminal elements, both within the Glebelands community and within the SAPS, government and political structures, are dealt with in accordance to the rule of law, and allegations of corruption properly investigated and addressed.
In the words of the late Pope John Paul VI, “If you want peace, work for justice.”
WE NOW CALL FOR THE EYES OF THE WORLD ON GLEBELANDS
For more information contact Vanessa Burger: Independent Community Activist for Human Rights & Social Justice +27 (0) 82 847 7766 bhubesi069@gmail.com
URGENT CALL TO ACTION
Organisations and concerned individuals who wish to support the Glebelands community’s struggle for truth, justice and peace are urged to:
- WRITE A LETTER TO:
THE UNITED NATIONS HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR HUMAN RIGHTS
His Excellency & Royal Highness, Prince Zeid bin Ra’ad: registry@ohchr.org
Kindly copy all correspondence to:
kfox@ohchr.org / jmogale@ohchr.org
EUROPEAN UNION MISSION Mr Belen Calvo: UyarraBelen.CALVO-UYARRA@eeas.europa.eu
CANADIAN EMBASSY Ms Sheryl McLaughlin: Sheryl.McLaughlin@international.gc.ca
SWISS EMBASSY Ms Philippe Strub: philippe.strub@eda.admin.ch
AFRICAN COMMISSION FOR PEOPLES AND HUMAN RIGHTS: au-banjul@africa-union.org
COMMONWEALTH SECRETARIAT: info@commonwealth.int
AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL Ms Coral Vinsen: ccarew37@gmail.com
HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH Ms Charlene Harry: harryc@hrw.org / hrw@hrw.org
Vanessa Burger: bhubesi069@gmail.com
- MAKE A DONATION TO:
Urgently needed donations in support of the affected Glebelands community may be made via the Right2Know website: https://theright2know.org/glebelands/ or directly to:
Account holder: The Right 2 Know
Bank: Standard Bank
Account Number: 07 022 865 5
Branch Code: 020909
Reference: Glebelands
Visit the Right2Know Campaign website for more information on Glebelands: www.r2k.org.za/glebelands
GENERAL GLEBELANDS STATISTICAL INFORMATION:
Number of blocks – 90
Number of residents – over 40 000
Number of residents per block – 250 – +/- 400 (some of the old blocks are very overcrowded and unassessed by council staff)
Number of blocks believed to be under ‘thug control’ – 14
Estimated average amount per block extorted from residents during each ‘collection’ – R128 000
STATISTICAL INFORMATION OF COMMUNITY AFFECTED BY THE VIOLENCE SINCE 2014:
Average period of residency – 16.5 years
Average number of dependents each resident supports – 6 (but can be as high as 13)
Average monthly income of community members affected by the violence – R1 600
Percentage of income provided by social grants – 6%
Average basic funeral costs to date – R1.5 million
Unemployment rate of affected community – +/- 90%
Percentage who were formerly employed but lost their jobs due to the violence – 35%
Percentage of residents supporting rural families who are now suffering extreme poverty as a result of the Glebelands violence – 98%
Number of women violently evicted and left homeless when 8 months pregnant – 2 (out of 25 interviewed)
Percentage of children who have failed a grade at school due to the violence – 16%
Percentage who have lost important documents during evictions – 30%
Percentage who have reported some form of stress-related physical or mental health complaint since the outset of the violence – 100%
Total support provided to affected community by the Department of Social Development since March 2014 – food vouchers valued @ R600 per month supplied to 3 women for 3 months. (Other residents turned away because they could not prove they were evicted or were referred to the ward councilor to request assistance. Other women refused assistance for their children because could not produce birth certificates – birth certificates lost / destroyed when illegally evicted.)
Number of residents who received trauma counseling at DSD facility – 2
Number of legal residents compensated / provided with alternate accommodation after their illegal eviction – 0
[ENDS]
