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Soweto: Youth in Protea South Demand that Councillor Step Down

category southern africa | community struggles | non-anarchist press author Monday March 23, 2009 22:00author by Landless People's Movement - LPM Protea South Report this post to the editors

The Landless People's Movement (LPM) in Protea South is thankful for all the support that organisations and individuals have provided over the past week especially as we seek to revive the LPM across Gauteng and hopefully reunite it with the landless people in South Africa and around the world. Your solidarity has given us strength and encouragement and we are as determined as ever to push forward the struggle of the poor in our battle against injustice. No amount of threats by the government, the police or by individuals will stop us from fighting for our rights.

Currently, the youth in Protea South are organising a march on the 27th March to force our local councilor to step down. Our councilor must be held accountable to the poor people in Protea South, not to those in power. The pamphlet for the march is below. All are welcome, especially the press and anyone interested in our struggle, as we hope to publicise our demands. As the LPM is currently in the process of reviving itself, it lacks the resources it needs to sustain its activities, particularly sound (loud hailers), transport, and material for banners (please contact the persons below if you can assist in any way).

We are confident that justice will be served:

“We Shall Overcome”

For more information contact:

Bongani, the Youth Coordinator in Protea South, at: 071 043 2221
Maureen at: 082 337 4514
or, Luke at: 079 144 4323


Protea South Councilor has failed to empower youths and must step down

We, the youth of Protea South, have been living here since the 1980s and yet we are still living in the same environment even though we are in the 14 years of so-called new democracy. We declare that the youth of Protea South have not yet benefited in the sweet fruits of democracy. The councilor promised in her manifesto that she will improve the skills of youth in protea south, but she failed to do that in her 4 years in power. She has also failed to meet with the community organisations within Protea South to address the issues that are affecting the youth in our community. That is why we say the present councilor should step down with the immediate effect as she has failed to deliver in terms of empowering the youth in protea.

* We are unemployed: lack of skills/training, empowerment & educational programmes
* We don’t have facilities to improve our CVs or our sport skills

As a result, we the youth, and all the community of Protea South, are faced with these problems:

* We have high rate of pregnancy and child headed households
* We have high rate of alcohol and drug abuse
* We have high rate of gambling
* We are being intimidated and violated by police brutalities and suppression. Most of the youths have to face juvenile imprisonment or pay a bail fine.
* We have high rate of people living with HIV and TB

The councilor has failed to address even one of our problems and has said that as long as we are staying in Protea South, there will be no development. This is unacceptable and we won’t allow the councilor to destroy our future We ask each and everyone who feels that they have not benefited from the fruits of democracy to join our protest to mayors office in town on the 27th March to take down the councilor and replace her with someone who will act as our true representative. We will meet at 8h00 at Peacemakers Ground and then head to town.

For more information, contact Silumko at APF office: 011- 333-8334.

author by Jon - ZACF (South Africa)publication date Fri Mar 27, 2009 15:13author address author phone Report this post to the editors

Friday 27 March 2009
Press release on behalf of Protea South Landless People's Movement

Youth in Protea South to March without JMPD Permission: Demand that Councilor Step Down

* On 18 March youth organisers from the Protea South Landless People's Movement (LPM) submitted written notification of their intent to march - to the Metro Centre to deliver a memorandum demanding that the local councilor step down - to the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD).
* On 26 March they were notified by JMPD that permission was not granted for them to march as their notification was allegedly only received that day, and that LPM Protea South marches are allegedly too violent.
* Youth in Protea South feel that they cannot wait any longer to express their greivances, and have resolved to march to Metro Centre without official permission.
* They are currently gathering at Peace-Makers Grounds, Protea South, from where they will proceed - at 10h00 today, Friday 27 March - to Metro Centre to deliver their memorandum.
* All media are requested to come to witness and cover their march, and to discourage the police from resorting to excessive use of force and unwarranted repression of their constitutional right to freedom of expression and protest.

For more information contact:
Bongani, the LPM Youth Coordinator in Protea South, at: 071 043 2221

 

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