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The Landless People’s Movement (Thembelihle branch)
to Reconnect Water Today!
Urgent Press Invite!!!
The “Squatter” community of Thembelihle in extension 9, Lenasia and the leadership of the Landless People’s Movement (LPM) will today reconnect their water supply after it was cut-off by the Joburg Water. Last week Friday the water utility company and the disgraced local councilor, Dan Bovu, disconnected a water pipeline that supplies water to the SA Block (community center) and the F 2 residential section. This criminal and unconstitutional disconnection of water make mockery of government’s policy with regard to supplying free water to indigent households.
The illegal water disconnection follows a long list of other criminal attacks on the community by the Joburg Metro and the local councilor Dan Bovu. Two weeks ago the community clinic was closed. It only after an intense struggle, including legal action, that the clinic was eventually reopened.
Attacks on the community have also been in the form of false criminal charges against local leaders and expensive court applications. The Joburg Metro has filed two court applications for the forced removal of the community. But instead of waiting for the outcomes of the court process, which has been contested by the LPM, the Joburg Metro has resorted to illegal activity such as the closure of the clinic and now the illegal disconnection of water.
Today the LPM in Themeblihle will re-connect the water. The community is expecting violent and indiscriminate arrests by the police. The police have on previous occasions protected those conducting criminal acts against the community.
The Thembelihle community marched to the Union building a week ago in support of the “No Land! No Vote!” campaign of the LPM. How are the people supposed to vote when their right to housing, health, water and land is denied in such violent way?
Issued by: Philip Phosa, LPM Branch Secretary, 083 969 7430
Date: 18 November 2003
