[Imc-africa] The Anti Privatisation Forum (APF) condemns the mass arrest of Landless People's Movement members

[Indymedia South Africa]

The repression and criminalisation of social movements in
South Africa continues as the country's 10-year old
democracy is celebrated with the arrest on its Election Day
of members of the Landless People's Movement (LPM). 62
people attending a LPM meeting in Thembelihle outside
Lenasia were rounded up by the police this morning. Their
alleged crime was their participation in a political
meeting that breached the minimum cordon of a polling
station required by the Electoral Act (section 108b). But
the meeting took place at the Park Station taxi rank in the
settlement, well outside the 200-metre radius of the
nearest polling station. The organisers of the meeting had
even been granted permission to hold the meeting from both
the police and the Independent Electoral Commission. So the
Anti Privatisation Forum (APF) then joins the LPM in
asking: 'What have we done?'

The crime committed by the LPM was to make the demand for
justice from a democracy that has failed to redistribute
land. The only disruption caused by the LPM on Elections
Day has been to point out that Apartheid's trenchant
divisions remain unchanged in rural areas where land
ownership is still monopolised by white farmers and tribal
authorities. The LPM's *NO LAND! NO VOTE!* campaign openly
identifies the racist inequality and poverty that disrupts
the simulation of democracy before any vote is cast today.
For raising these issues, the LPM in Thembelihle was
subjected to a heavily armed police clampdown that included
high-ranking security personnel. 


*Selective use of Electoral Act*

Yet, the police and the IEC took no action when the
Electoral Act was clearly contravened by the ANC in Evaton
West. ANC party members were this morning openly canvassing
for votes inside a polling station and the party had
yesterday held a rally in contravention of the two-day
political curfew before an election. The police have with
the arrests confirmed that the Electoral Act is applied
selectively to suppress dissent. 

Landless people would not be intimidated this morning. And
they should not retreat into silence. The APF and the LPM
and all people struggling for land, electricity, water and
life will continue to challenge a shallow democracy that
declares the struggle for justice to be criminal.

For comment, please contact Trevor Ngwane 083 293-7691
Ahmed Veriava 083 751-2695

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