Produced by the key writer in the Black Action Group (affiliate of the Zabalaza Anarchist Communist Federation – now the Front – or ZACF) and the Phambile Motsoaledi Community Project. Unknown at this stage if this was published or sent out in this or revised form. “The meeting” referred to at the start seems to be the meeting to launch the Motsoaledi Concerned Residents (MCR): for more see here. The material below is dated 3 September 2007.
Press statement
The meeting of 15 January 2005 was a success despite the aggressive efforts of a group of ANC supporters to disrupt the meeting and sabotage the committee.
The ANC group was eventually shut up and ignored and it was clear that those gathered were sick and tired of their disruptive behaviour and pro-ANC rhetoric. The group met with the local ANC councilor after the meeting – clearly he had not been brave enough to attend it himself. Residents then signed up for participation in a collective non-politically aligned community organisation, which is affiliated to the Anti-Privatisation Forum and the Zabalaza Anarchist Communist Federation.
The MCR held its first meeting on 22 January 2005. At this meeting members came and more residents signed their names in support of the MCR despite threats from members of the ruling party. On the day a banner was made for the MCR with the help of the previously elected media committee, which will be used in the activities of the MCR. It will also be used in the coming march to the regional councilor. The idea of a march emerged as one of the burning ones during the meeting. The MCR will first send the councillor a letter telling him of its demands and if he does not respond then the MCR will close the Old Poctchefstroom Road (one of the main roads through Soweto). The first meeting of the MCR was also featured in the January 20 issue of the newspaper, City Vision, and this has further antagonised the disruptive ANC members, because their faces appeared in the paper clearly showing them engaged in anti-democratic behaviour. The MCR will have another meeting to follow up on the march to the councillor on the 13 February 2005
SAASHA 