Monthly Archive for April, 2010

Memorandum

To:   All coordinators of protest actions against crime
From:   Dirk Hermann
Subject:  Arrangements for the protest action on 19 May
Date:  28 April 2010

Print PDF. Memorandum coordinators protest action against crime

We would like to thank you again for your willingness to act as a coordinator for the protest action against crime on 19 May.

The action was initiated by the Solidarity Movement (Solidairty, AfriForum and Helping Hand). More and more local and national community organisations are joining the action.

The purpose of the protest action is twofold. First, the goal of the action is to protest against crime. We must never allow crime to be accepted as normal. We must show that crime is abnormal through continued protest.

Second, we want to leave behind something lasting. Therefore, communities will be encouraged to become actively involved in community safety structures.

If a hundred community safety structures are established, South Africa will be a safer place.
We hope to set up a South African record for the most protest memorandums handed over in one day. We therefore want to hand over memorandums to as many police stations as possible. We would rather have fewer people at more police stations than more people at fewer police stations.

We will provide you with a standard memorandum, but you are welcome to attach a memorandum on local issues.

Your role as coordinator of the action at the police station/s for which you take responsibility is critical for the success of the campaign.

The following guidelines are provided to help you with the arrangements. Some of the guidelines will apply to you and others not. Fixed guidelines cannot be given, as communities differ from each other.

In some cases the arrangements are handled by personnel and representatives of Solidarity, AfriForum and Helping Hand, while in other cases community leaders are taking care of the arrangements. The nature and content of the actions will depend on the people who organise them.
1. Visit the webpage www.crimeprotest.co.za regularly. Information will be updated almost daily. 
2. Mobilise as many people as possible for the protest action. However, a large crowd is not a prerequisite for success. If only five people are present when the memorandum is handed over, the action will still be a success, as the number of places where memorandums are handed over is more important than the number of people who are present.
3. Try to liaise with local organisations like tax payers’ associations or agricultural unions to gain their support.
4. Involve the local community policing forums or other community safety actions.
5. Involve the security companies, as their presence will help to create the right atmosphere during the handing over of the memorandums.
6. Involve the local newspaper from the outset. Information and draft media statements will be available on www.crimeprotest.co.za.
7. Ensure that the local newspaper attends the handing over of the memorandum. Local radio stations can also be approached to cover the event.
8. For assistance with local media, contact Surika at surika@helpendehand.co.za.
9. E-mail us any relevant news that is published in the local media for inclusion in the webpage.
10. If you are planning anything interesting, let us know about it – the other towns may want to do something similar.
11. The action should be kept short. We want as many people as possible to participate in it. People who have to work that day must also have an opportunity to participate in the action. 
12. We propose that the action take place from 12:00 to 14:00 or even from 13:00 to 14:00.
13. Encourage businesses in your area to close between 13:00 and 14:00 to protest against crime. Let us know which businesses are willing to close and we will provide them each with a poster that shows they support the protest action. 
14. If a large group will participate in the action, make sure you obtain the necessary permission.
15. In the bigger centres that have more than one police station, the people should assemble at one location from where they can set out for the various police stations in teams.
16. Try to get one or two well-known persons in the community involved in the action.
17. Encourage employers to allow employees to take extended lunch breaks to take part in the action. A safer environment will benefit businesses. 
18. If employees are unable to take time off from work, protest actions can be held at places of work.  
19. We want to introduce a different type of protest. The protest action must take place in an orderly fashion.
20. We do not want hate speech and racism to be part of the protest action.
21. The action must be family oriented. The atmosphere must be such that people will be able to take their children along.
22. The colour red will be used for the protest action to signify that we are tired of the bloodshed that is taking place.
23. We request you to take action against anyone who tries to undermine the spirit of the action. One political flag or slogan, one person who shows up intoxicated, one incident of violence, one racist incident or one person with another agenda can undo the whole protest action. 
24. The focus of the action is to protest against crime and we do not want to promote any other agenda on that day.
25. People must wear red. We will not use any flags, but will ask people to display red posters and banners. We will send you draft posters. 
26. People who are not going to participate in the action must also be encouraged to wear red.
27. We want at least one victim of crime to be present at the handing over of each memorandum.  It is important to emphasise that crime affects people. This protest action is more than an expression of anger over some issue. We want to stand up for real people who experience real pain as a result of crime.  
28. Please let us know which victims of crime will be involved in your action as soon as possible.
29. Feel free to share any ideas you may have regarding the protest action. One district is considering delivering all the snares they collect that week at the police stations. 

We will keep you informed of new developments and new ideas. Remember to visit www.crimeprotest.co.za regularly.

Thank you for your willingness to be part of this historic event. 19 May will be remembered as the biggest protest again against crime

CRIME-FARM
JOHANNESBURG April 28 Sapa
MAN KILLED ON BOSCHKOP FARM
  
   A 41-year-old man was killed on a farm in Boschkop, Pretoria on
Wednesday morning, paramedics said.
   The man was found lying in a pool of blood around 7.45am, said
Netcare 911 spokesman Chris Botha.
   He said the man had been attacked with a sharp object.
   Paramedics attempted to resuscitate him, but he died from his
wounds on the scene.
   Gauteng police spokeswoman Warrant Officer Marinda Stoltz said
police could not yet determine the cause of the man’s death.
   “He was brutally attacked but we can’t confirm the details yet.”
   She said at around 7am an unknown number of men attacked the man
who rented a house on the plot.
   The men barricaded the domestic worker in a bedroom and took the
man into another bedroom.
   The man’s two-year-old child was in the house but was unharmed.
   Stoltz said during the robbery there was a struggle and a number
of shots were fired.
   “Several shots were fired but we don’t know who fired the shots
or who was shot… that’s why we have to wait to confirm the cause
of death.”
   Police were investigating a case of house robbery and murder.
   It was also unclear what was taken from the home.
   The domestic worker was unharmed but extremely traumatised and
left the scene with her family and friends.

As many as 150 000 South Africans in hundreds of towns across South Africa will take part in a day of protest against crime. The day of protest is being organised by the Solidarity Movement and will, depending on finalisation, be held on 19 May. It will be a joint effort by all the institutions comprising the Solidarity Movement, namely the trade union Solidarity, AfriForum and Helping Hand.

During Solidarity’s national congress, delegates from across South Africa unanimously accepted a motion in favour of a day of protest. Thousands of Solidarity members this week gave their mandates for the acceptance of the motion. 95% of the votes cast before the congress were in favour of the motion.

“However, we will not limit the action to only the Solidarity Movement. We will also ask other community organisations, community safety structures, trade unions and churches to support the day,” said Flip Buys, general secretary of Solidarity.

The day will be marked by hundreds of memorandums being handed over to police stations across South Africa. The Solidarity Movement wants to hand over memorandums to as many of the 1 100 police stations in South Africa as possible. Embassies and South Africans overseas will also be involved and well known artists will perform at gatherings.

“On the one hand, the day of protest will focus on protest against the crime situation. However, protest is not enough. Therefore, we will also focus strongly on establishing community safety structures. In the memorandum, there is an appeal to the police and communities to create joint safety structures. If we can succeed in creating an additional 200 community safety actions following the protest actions, South Africa will be much safer,” according to Buys.

“We would like to ask people in towns of all sizes, cities and farming communities to participate in the campaign. Memorandums from all quarters must be handed over to police stations. In small places, as few as five people can participate, and in large cities, as many as 5 000,” Buys said.

Solidarity will also apply to NEDLAC, in terms of the Labour Relations Act, for protection for its members on the day. This would mean that Solidarity members would be able to stay away from work without fearing disciplinary action.

“People are tired of crime. Their emotions are boiling over. People’s emotions need to be channelled. The high percentage of members in favour of the motion shows how strongly ordinary South Africans feel about crime. We want to use this day of protest to introduce an alternative form of protest to South Africa. In extremely tense circumstances, a constructive process is needed. We cannot expect people to do nothing, but we are also not interested in protest actions that involve turning over rubbish bins and causing damage,” Buys said.