Case of Kensington 87 postponed yet again - Drop all charges! - The struggle continues!

This morning the Kensington 87, along with hundreds of members of various APF affiliates, gathered at the Jeppe Regional Court in Johannesburg for the court case arising from the April 6th march and demonstration at the house of Johannesburg Mayor, Amos Masondo. As the APF indicated in its press release yesterday, this was the third hearing of the case.

After almost a hour of proceedings inside the courthouse, the Kensington 87 emerged to inform the comrades who had gathered outside that the case against them had, once again, been postponed. The fourth hearing of this case will now take place in late on October 23rd. It was clear from the court proceedings that the state does not have a case and that they are using successive postponements as a means of further harassment of the Kensington 87 in particular, and the anti-privatisation movement in South Africa as a whole.

On the steps of the courthouse, speakers from the various affiliates of the APF as well as international anti-globalisation activists addressed a large crowd and expressed full solidarity with the Kensington 87, called for the dropping of all charges and sent a clear message to the South African government that the local and global struggle against privatisation and the capitalism that sustains it, will continue to grow stronger and will make its presence felt at the upcoming WSSD. A warning was also sent out to the government and all those who would ty and criminalise that struggle during the WSSD and beyond - the people will fully exercise their rights to freedom of protest and dissent - you cannot silence the voices of the poor and workers, they will be heard!!

The APF calls on all local and international organisations and movements fighting the same struggles against privatisation and the capitalist system to intensify pressure on the South African government to drop all charges against the Kensington 87 and to allow for the full exercising of the South African people’s rights to freedom of protest and dissent. The APF will not be bullied into submission and will double its own efforts to ensure that the collective voice of the people is heard loud and clear at the WSSD.

A Luta Continua • Down with Privatisation • Viva the People’s Struggles!