South Africa: Death Threats by Armed Men Against Leaders in the Zikode Extension Occupation – Enough is Enough!

30.5.18

South Africa: Death Threats by Armed Men Against Leaders in the Zikode Extension Occupation – Enough is Enough!: Today is day 16 of the Zikode Extension Land Occupation on the East Rand, between Boksburg and Germiston. Many of us are sick after 15 nights on the land. Some of us are still carrying wounds from the brutal police assault on 17 May. Our shacks have been repeatedly destroyed and the building materials burnt or confiscated. Cars used to transport the materials to the occupation have been impounded. We are also facing death threats. Armed men, unknown to us, are looking for our leaders.

In many cases people having been living in the shacks that have been demolished. There is no court order authorising these demolitions and they are therefore illegal and criminal acts by the police and the Municipality. The police are also guilty of abuse and assault. On 17 May when they tried to stop us from moving back to the occupation from the Good Hope settlement they attacked us with rubber bullets, tear gas and bricks. People were attacked while they were running away and hiding. A baby in Good Hope had seriously difficulty breathing as a result of the teargas. Babies have died from teargas in Durban and in Palestine. We could have lost this baby too. When a woman fell as she was running from the police Siyambusa Mpolase, our Deputy Secretary, turned back and ran to help her. He was arrested. The police shouted “This is the dog we have been looking for.” They kicked him and beat him with the back of their guns. They then took him to another place, a dark place, in their van. When they got there, they continued to beat him with the back of their guns. After that they took him to the police station.