The Western Cape Anti-Eviction Campaign was a non-racial[1] popular movement[2] made up of poor and oppressed communities in Cape Town, South Africa.[3][4] It was formed in November 2000[5] with the aim of fighting evictions, water cut-offs and poor health services, obtaining free electricity, securing decent housing, and opposing police brutality.[6][7][8][9]
The movement was the first of the first generation of so-called 'new social movements' to spring up after the end of apartheid and was known for its direct action style militancy, its refusal of all forms of vanguardism, including NGO (Non-Governmental Organisations) authoritarianism.[4][10][11][12] The movement sought to retain its autonomy from NGOs[13] and publicly refused to work with some local NGOs[14] and insisted that the middle class left respect the autonomy of grassroots movements.
The AEC was a founding member of the Poor People's Alliance and, along with the other members of the alliance, refused all electoral politics and encouraged the development of popular power rather than voting for political parties.[12][15][16][17]
The AEC mobilised against the 2008 xenophobic attacks in the areas where it was strong.[18][19][20]
The AEC opposed evictions related to the FIFA 2010 World Cup.[21]
- ^ Manyi and Manuel – Why Apartheid Didn't Die, Leonard Gentle, All Africa, March 2011
- ^ The flames of Phaphamani, Pedro Tabensky, Leadership Magazine, 7 March 2011
- ^ Anti-eviction in South Africa, WarOnWant
- ^ a b Fighting Foreclosure in South Africa , by the Western Cape Anti-Eviction Campaign, The Nation Magazine
- ^ Building unity in diversity: Social movement activism in the Western Cape Anti-Eviction Campaign, Sophie Oldfield & Kristian Stokke, 2004, p.13
- ^ Re-launch of the Western Cape AEC focuses on a renewed coordinated fight against evictions, water cutoffs, electricity cutoffs and for decent housing for all!, Western Cape Anti-Eviction Campaign, 6 December 2010
- ^ What's the Deal With the Toyi-Toyi?, Lisa Nevitt, Cape Town Magazine, September 2010
- ^ On the Other Side of the Mountain, Niren Tolsi, Mail & Guardian, 23 December 2010
- ^ Housing battles in post-Apartheid South Africa: The Case of Mandela Park, Khayelitsha Archived 24 May 2012 at the Wayback Machine, by Martin Legassick, South African Labour Bulletin, 2003
- ^ South African Grassroots Movements Rebel Against NGO Authoritarianism, Western Cape Anti-Eviction Campaign, Indymedia, 9 December 2007
- ^ Rethinking Public Participation from Below , by Richard Pithouse, Critical Dialogue, 2006
- ^ a b South Africa: A Revolution in Progress, Ceasefire, 9 January 2009
- ^ Building unity in diversity: Social movement activism in the Western Cape Anti-Eviction Campaign, Sophie Oldfield & Kristian Stokke, 2004
- ^ South African Grassroots Movements Rebel Against NGO Authoritarianism
- ^ See the article 'Anti Eviction Campaign urges poor to boycott elections' by Aziz Hartley, Cape Times, 5 January 2009
- ^ [1] Archived 23 April 2009 at the Wayback Machine Grassroots movements plan to boycott South African poll Ekklesia, 29 April 2009
- ^ The DA's battle to buddy up to the everyman, Osiame Molefe, The Daily Maverick, 2 July 2012
- ^ Deal aims to stop xenophobia, VOCFM, 19 August 2009
- ^ AEC and stakeholders in recent anti-xenophobia negotiations head to parliament today, Western Cape Anti-Eviction Campaign, 24 August 2009
- ^ Xenophobia still smoulders in Cape townships, Mandisi Majavu, Mail & Guardian, 19 June 2009
- ^ South Africans fight eviction for World Cup car park, Mohammed Allie. BBC News. 2 June 2010