Kennedy Road

People all over South Africa have been asking the leaders of Abahlali baseMjondolo as to why the government continues to ignore the demands of the shack dwellers. They have been asking why after all the marches, statements, reports and meetings the Kennedy Road settlement continues to get burnt down through the endless shack fires. They have been referring in particular to the recent Kennedy Road shack fire on Sunday, 4 July 2010 that took four lives, leaving more than three thousand people displaced and homeless.

‘My heart is very sore at the terrible scenes of devastation in Kennedy Road’ said Archbishop Thabo Makgoba, following the weekend’s massive fires which saw 2 dead and over 2000 left homeless. Addressing the wider needs of those in informal settlements, he added ‘yet the overwhelming success of the World Cup shows that with focus, commitment, hard work and perseverance, we can achieve our goals – we must confidently apply the same effort to service delivery promises.’

Written by Emma Pomfret, Christian Aid (Thursday, June 3, 2010)

The first black South African to hold the position of Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Natal, and chairman of the KwaZulu-Natal Christian Council (KZNCC), Rubin Phillip is currently in the UK to raise awareness about the plight of the Durban-based shack-dweller movement, Abahlali baseMjondolo.