PRESIDENT RAMAPHOSA LEFT WITH 3 DAYS TO RESPOND TO MEMORANDUM
Dateline: JOHANNESBURG, June 11
It has been a week since women and men alike, in their multiple hundreds descended in Tshwane, Gauteng to take a stand against colonial and apartheid law-making, in service of rural democracy and autonomy. On 5 June 2019, over 1200 people marched to the Union Buildings, united behind a memorandum which called on the President to do right by rural citizens of South Africa and uphold a constitution which guarantees all of us equality and freedom. We called on the President to STOP THE BANTUSTAN BILLS!
The Alliance for Rural Democracy, on behalf of the Stop the Bantustans Bills campaign and allied organizations, wishes to thank the South African public, civil society and progressive media for their support, be it physical support and solidarity through their presence on the day or support in resourcing this movement and amplifying our struggle though their platforms. Our deepest gratitude must go out to our team of provincial coordinators and mobilizing team, who worked relentlessly with rural citizens across 7 provinces to mobilize, share relevant information and knowledge around the bills through workshops, and facilitate all logistical travels enabling everyone who wanted to take a stand on the 5th of June to be able to do so.
The movement has received positive feedback and we are looking forward to consolidating ourselves and intensifying our efforts, should the office of the Presidency not do good on their promises and most importantly, deliver us justice by putting an end to the horror that is looming as a result of these bills. Rural communities stood united in opposing the Bantustan laws in their participatory mass action to affirm rural democracy. As we count down 3 more days until the office of the President honours their commitment to ensure President Ramaphosa responds to our memorandum, we call on all South Africans to not retire and continue to stand with us.
For more information or direct media liaison: +28 64 090 3719 or +27 82 559 0632
Email: admin@stopthebantustanbills.org
Visit www.stopthebantustansbills.org.za
