Image Source: GroundUp
Local – General Secretary of Abahlali baseMjondolo, Thapelo Mohapi, has condemned Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi’s recent stance on informal settlements, calling it an attack on the most vulnerable.
Mohapi accused the premier of reviving apartheid-style tactics against communities already struggling with poverty and lack of basic services.
He pointed out that the country’s Constitution explicitly protects against arbitrary evictions. Mohapi said the law made it clear that alternative housing must always be provided before any demolition takes place.
“No one may demolish or destroy anyone’s home without providing an alternative accommodation. So, arbitrary eviction in this country is unlawful.”
Mohapi expressed disbelief that such rhetoric was being voiced in a democratic society three decades after the fall of apartheid. He said leaders should be protecting the poor instead of threatening them with the destruction of their homes.
“Only an apartheid minister or an apartheid prime minister would say something of that nature. We were very surprised that after 30 years of democracy… we have leaders like Lesufi who will utter words like that about the poor.”
Criminality Claims Rejected
Lesufi has claimed that many shack dwellers are undocumented and part of criminal networks. Mohapi rejected this argument, stressing that criminality in informal settlements is largely external.
He explained that criminals often exploit settlements as hideouts, but that this should not taint the poor who live there.
“Criminals come from outside and use informal settlements as a hideout. It is very unfortunate that a premier would not understand that… because there are ordinary poor men and women who are law-abiding citizens.”
He said those who profit from shack farming and rent exploitation are the ones undermining development. According to him, implementing the Upgrading of Informal Settlements Policy could address these issues and reduce the influence of opportunists.
“The upgrading of informal settlement policy will ensure that the only existence of informal settlements belongs to certain individuals with IDs and so forth.”
Services, Not Stigma
Mohapi argued that poor living conditions created by government neglect were to blame for social problems. He emphasised that depriving people of essentials like clean water and electricity stripped them of dignity and encouraged instability.
“Not providing services such as water and electricity is violence on its own, and no one must live without water. It’s a basic necessity.”
He added that official narratives often focus on so-called “violent protests” but ignore the daily violence of inadequate services.
Mohapi said state failure should not be overlooked while blaming communities for unrest. “Before we can speak about violence, we must speak about violence that comes from the state to the poor.”
The Way Forward
Mohapi called for genuine engagement between the government and informal settlement residents. He said decisions should not be made without involving those directly affected, as communities themselves know the solutions that will work.
“Don’t speak about the people in the informal settlement. Speak to them… We can plan our own townships, and if that is allowed, we will then be able to give solutions.”
He further warned that sidelining residents leaves room for corruption, citing instances where housing allocations went to the wrong people. He urged leaders to allow movements like Abahlali baseMjondolo to contribute to fairer housing processes.
“We are saying that the poor… government must not speak about us, but they must speak to us, and we can help in the situation.”
