The African National Congress government is following the example of the apartheid regime in its handling of World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) protests, anti-globalisation campaigners charged this week.
This followed a series of incidents in which protesters — among them senior leaders of organisations preparing to march on the main summit venue in Sandton next week — have been arrested and others already in police custody tear-gassed. More evidence also emerged of what these groups charge is harassment by the National Intelligence Agency.
The National Land Committee (NLC) and Landless People’s Movement (LPM), both expected to join vocal anti-globalisation protests against the Johannesburg summit, have condemned police actions as “deliberate destabilisation of the LPM’s organising activities … and tantamount to the kind of brutalities inflicted on the dispossessed masses during the dark days of apartheid.”
The Anti-Privatisation Forum this week upped its rhetoric in a sign that the police actions may in fact be fuelling the flames of protest: “We don’t want [the summit] to take place. We want to shut it down. We are inspired by [earlier anti-globalisation protests in] Seattle and Genoa and we hope [our protest] turns into something like Seattle.”
Seventy-two LPM activists remained in police custody on Thursday after being arrested at a march on Gauteng Premier Mbhazima Shilowa’s office the previous day to demand an end to forced removals of squatters from informal settlements.
Protesters accused Shilowa’s government of dumping squatters miles from Johannesburg to hide poverty from summit delegates.
As police moved in to make arrests NLC national director Zakes Hlatshwayo was called to the scene by the protesters. He too was taken in and remained in custody. Other senior leaders arrested include outspoken NLC land rights coordinator Andile Mngzitama and the LPM Gauteng leader Maureen Mnisi.
On Thursday another 30 activists were arrested outside Johannesburg Central police station as they protested against the earlier arrests. They were later freed — with the exception of former Mail & Guardian reporter Ann Eveleth, an American citizen and now NLC and LPM media adviser. Deportation proceedings were started against Eveleth.
It is understood a “prohibited person” notice was issued against her last week under the Aliens Control Act — even though an application to extend her residence was pending.
Eveleth told the M&G from custody: “There’s a clear attempt by the government to crack down on political protest ahead of the WSSD. Last year the government felt embarrassed when 20 000 protesters arrived at the Durban racism conference.
“It is clear from the arrests yesterday that they are trying to crush plans for mobilisation in the coming week.”
Also on Wednesday, 83 former soldiers were allegedly tear-gassed while in police custody after they refused to be moved to a prison to await trial.
Unconfirmed reports said some had to be hospitalised. The former soldiers are members of the Soldiers Forum (SF), an affiliate of the Anti-Privatisation Forum.
The former soldiers were arrested last week and kept in police custody for allegedly not paying train fares when they wanted to travel from Johannesburg to Cape Town to protest at Parliament about unfair dismissals and pension demands.
Meanwhile, a leader of an Anti- Privatisation Forum affiliate said on Thursday someone who identified himself as from the National Intelligence Agency had tried to recruit her to spy on comrades.
Said Nonhlanhla Mzilikazi, treasurer of the Soweto Electricity Crisis Committee: “He promised me a job … He wanted me to meet him.”
This comes after complaints by the LPM that the agency had contacted its leaders or tried to attend meetings in seven provinces.
Anti-globalisation activists said this week they will be making their presence strongly felt at both the formal summit in Sandton and Nasrec, where civil society groups are gathering. The strongest protest is likely to be seen on August 31 when, as one Anti-Privatisation Forum leader said on Thursday, they want to “surround delegates” in Sandton.
The police are bracing themselves for an onslaught of protest. They have been told to expect three marches a day during the summit.
A police officer at Wednesday’s march on Shilowa’s offices said: “We’re going to have a hell of a time. We have to calm this down because they’ll go to the summit and the whole world will be watching us.”
The police dismissed allegations that tear gas was used against the arrested members of the Soldiers Forum as “absolute nonsense”. They say no violence of any form has been used against the ex-soldiers in their custody.
Police have confirmed that those arrested at the march on Shilowa’s offices have been formally charged under the Regulation of Gatherings Act and will appear in court on Friday morning.
Additional reporting by Stefaans Brümmer