South African Unemployed Peoples' Movement Explained
The South African Unemployed Peoples' Movement is a social movement with branches in Durban, Grahamstown and Limpopo Province[1] in South Africa. It is often referred to as the Unemployed People's Movement or UPM. The organisation is strongly critical of the ruling African National Congress government.[2]
Activities in Durban
On 15 July 2009, the movement announced that it would begin appropriating food from supermarkets in Durban if the state did not agree to consult with it on its demand for a basic income grant of R1,500 per month for all unemployed people.[3]
On 22 July 2009, the movement occupied the Checkers supermarket in Dr Pixley KaSeme Street and the Pick'n'Pay supermarket at The Workshop and began to eat food off the shelves without paying. Police said they arrested 44 people at Checkers and 50 people at Pick'n'Pay. Nozipho Mteshana, then the chairwoman of the movement, said that the appropriation of food in supermarkets would continue despite the arrests.[4] [5] [6] She was placed under house arrest for 18 months following the protest.[7]
The movement has, working together with Abahlali baseMjondolo, also organised a number of protests from the Zakheleni shack settlement in Umlazi, Durban.[8]
Activities in Grahamstown
There is also a branch of the Unemployed People's Movement in Grahamstown in the Eastern Cape.[9] [10] [11] [12] It argues for a bottom up system of democracy.[13] Along with the struggle for employment, housing and electricity[14] women's issues, including the demand for toilets [15] and campaigns against rape,[16] [17] have emerged as key issues in Grahamstown. The movement has had some success in campaigning against corruption in Grahamstown.[18] The movement has also opposed xenophobia.[19] [20]
Its current chairperson is Ayanda Kota[21] and the Grahamstown branch works closely with radical students.[22]
According to commentator Mazibuko Jara, "it has become the most powerful force in the Makana municipality. Its formation represented a collective recognition of the appetite for self-emancipation, and without self-organisation, the unemployed in Grahamstown might as well have remained on the margins of that divided small town. In its short two years of existence, the movement has marched, written deputations, submitted memorandums of demands, held sit-ins, held meetings with the state, used the law and more. It has challenged unemployment, poor-quality housing, lack of housing, lack of water and sanitation, lack of electricity and street lighting, violence against women and problems with the social security system. The movement has humanised politics by concerning themselves with how to rebuild the social fabric of a poor community."[23]
Repression
The movement has suffered arrests in both Grahamstown[24] [25] [26] and Durban.[27] It claims that in Grahamstown the Municipality has often frustrated its right to protest.[28]
See also
Further reading
- The Death of Reason and the Water Crisis in the Makana Municipality, Xola Mali, 2010
- The Rebellion of the Poor Comes to Grahamstown, UPM Press Statement, 2011
- Ten Theses on Democracy, Amandla Magazine, 2011
- SA, we cannot say we are free, Ayanda Kota, Afro-Spear, 2011
- Sekwenele: It's enough, Timothy Gabb, Activate, 2011
- Photographic essay on the UPM (Grahamstown), by Timothy Gabb, 2011
- South Africa on the Global Occupy Map, Anne Garrison, 2011
- Malema does not speak for poor youths, Ayanda Kota, Mail & Guardian, 2011
- Students and the working class: towards a living solidarity, Ben Fogel, Amandla Magazine, 2011
- The revolt of South Africa's untouchables, by Pedro Alexis Tabensky, Pambazuka, 2011
- Secrecy Bill shows ANC's historic mission is over, by Ayanda Kota, Mail & Guardian, December 2011
- Is the SACP Still Relevant?, Mazibuko K. Jara, The Times, 2011
- The Reign of Thugs, by Pedro Tabensky, January 2012
- The Marikana mine workers massacre: a massive escalation in the war on the poor, Ayanda Kota, San Francisco Bay View, August 2012
- Qubuda – another dead brick in the wall of rape imprisoning South Africa, Mandy de Waal, The Daily Maverick, 4 March 2012
Notes and References
- http://revolutionaryfrontlines.wordpress.com/2011/10/22/south-africa-fighting-for-our-right-to-work-organising-the-unemployed/#more-19873 "Fighting for Our Right to Work – Organising the Unemployed"
- http://www.sabc.co.za/news/a/fc15ee8049ba6dcaab89fb014e68926d/Mixed-feelings-after-Centenary-celebrations-20120109 Mixed feelings after Centenary celebrations
- http://www.sowetan.co.za/News/Article.aspx?id=1035297 'Give us a basic grant of R1500 or we’ll wreak havoc', Canaan Mdletshe, The Sowetan, 17 July 2009
- http://www.dailynews.co.za/?fArticleId=5095860 'Looting sprees to continue: 94 arrested for protest thefts at supermarkets', Mpume Madala, Daily News, 23 July 2009
- https://web.archive.org/web/20121103214211/http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1912479,00.html?xid=rss-fullworld-yahoo 'The Outrage of South Africa's Poor Threatens Their President'
- http://abahlali.org/node/5521 'Bazitapele ezitolo bekhala ngendlala', Bonisa Mohale & Celani Sikhakhane, Isolezwe, 22 July 2009
- http://abahlali.org/node/6399 Social Movements are Fighting for a Good Cause – We are Not Criminals, Ayanda Kota
- http://dailymaverick.co.za/article/2012-06-25-service-failure-next-step-silence-the-dissent Service failure: next step, silence the dissent
- http://abahlali.org/taxonomy/term/1830 Unemployed People's Movement
- http://abahlali.org/taxonomy/term/1787 Unemployed People's Movement
- http://www.grocotts.co.za/content/demanding-not-requesting-says-upm-16-10-2009 Demanding Not Requesting Says UPM
- http://www.timeslive.co.za/opinion/commentary/2011/07/31/is-the-sacp-still-relevant Is the SACP Still Relevant?
- http://www.amandlapublishers.co.za/home-page/702--ten-theses-on-democracy-unemployed-peoples-movement-grahamstown Ten Theses on Democracy
- http://www.grocotts.co.za/content/picket-sparks-city-hall-action-02-05-2013 Picket sparks City Hall action
- http://www.ngopulse.org/press-release/unemployed-people-s-movement-and-women-s-social-forum-march-toilets-friday The Unemployed People's Movement and the Women's Social Forum March for Toilets this Friday
- http://www.grocotts.co.za/content/pupil-rape-marchers-call-police-action-03-05-2012 Pupil rape: marchers call for police action
- http://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2013-03-04-thandiswa-qubuda-another-dead-brick-in-the-wall-of-rape-imprisoning-south-africa/ Thandiswa Qubuda – another dead brick in the wall of rape imprisoning South Africa
- http://www.grocotts.co.za/content/mayor-confirms-housing-scam-07-08-2013 Mayor confirms housing scam
- http://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2015-10-29-xenophobia-in-grahamstown-we-are-not-leaving/ Xenophobia in Grahamstown: 'We are not leaving!'
- http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/10130950.2016.1215647 The languages of xenophobia in post-apartheid South Africa: Reviewing migrancy, foreignness, and solidarity
- http://www.anngarrison.com/audio/south-africa-on-the-global-occupy-map Occupy South Africa on the Global Occupy Map
- http://mg.co.za/article/2011-10-14-occupy-wall-street-uprising-could-be-explosive Occupy Wall Street uprising could be 'explosive'
- http://www.timeslive.co.za/opinion/commentary/2011/07/31/is-the-sacp-still-relevant Is the SACP Still Relevant?
- http://www.dispatch.co.za/news/article/2681 Outcry over ‘savage assault’
- http://mg.co.za/article/2012-01-13-cops-arrest-grahamstown-activist-for-book-theft Grahamstown activist arrested for book theft
- http://www.grocotts.co.za/content/upm-leader-arrested-and-allegedly-beaten-police-13-01-2012 UPM leader arrested and allegedly beaten by police
- http://dailymaverick.co.za/article/2012-06-25-service-failure-next-step-silence-the-dissent Service failure: next step, silence the dissent
- http://www.financialmail.co.za/features/2013/10/10/protests-unlikely-to-dent-anc-support-at-polls Protests unlikely to dent ANC support at polls BY TROYE LUND
