En Afrique du Sud, des émeutes éclipsent l’anniversaire de la libération de Mandela

LE MONDE

12.02.10

Verre cassé, barrages sur la route désertée, magasins pillés, odeur de bière et de violence : tous les ingrédients de l’émeute sont réunis à Siyathemba. Si l’idée était d’organiser la pire anti-commémoration possible à l’occasion de l’anniversaire de la libération de Nelson Mandela, le 11 février 1990, c’est un succès. Dans le township planté à la sortie de Balfour, à une centaine de kilomètres de Johannesburg, l’humeur n’est pas à la joie.

Au poste de police de Balfour, des Casspir (blindés conçus par les services de sécurité de l’apartheid) et des canons à eau stationnent sur la pelouse. On distribue des brassées de fusils à pompe avec balles en caoutchouc. Un officier qui refuse d’être cité fait les comptes : « Les manifestants, c’est un bon millier de personnes, des garçons très jeunes. Ils ont détruit un bâtiment municipal et saccagé 25 commerces appartenant à des « étrangers ». Nous avons procédé à six arrestations, mais nous sommes obligés de rester là-bas, sinon ça va repartir. »

« Là-bas » : à Siyathemba, le township. A 10 kilomètres de Balfour à travers champs. Une majorité de baraques de tôle. Taux de chômage : vertigineux, comme le niveau de corruption de la municipalité. Services publics : proche de zéro. Vingt ans après la libération de M. Mandela, il n’est pas une ville, pas un village, qui ne soit bordé d’un bidonville, comme autant de reproches.

Certains se sont mués en quartiers de classe moyenne, comme dans certaines parties du célèbre Soweto, près de Johannesburg. Depuis 1994, le gouvernement a construit ou rénové dans le pays environ 500 maisons par jour pour les pauvres. C’est beaucoup, mais insuffisant, et dans les bidonvilles qui continuent de pousser à la périphérie de la prospérité sud-africaine, la colère explose.

En 2009, 83 bouffées de violence ont eu lieu pour protester contre les dysfonctionnements des services publics locaux, le chômage et la misère. Les groupes de manifestants ont repris les bonnes vieilles méthodes du toy toy (manifestation musclée ou violente), utilisées des années durant, contre le pouvoir blanc. Cette fois, l’enjeu est différent, mais gare aux dérapages. Presque partout, les manifestations ont dégénéré en violences contre les « étrangers », immigrés ou citoyens d’origine étrangère.

A Siyathemba, ces jours-ci, on réclame des emplois dans la mine d’or voisine de Burnstone, accusée de ne pas recruter localement. Mais on a attaqué tous les commerçants d’origine pakistanaise, somalienne ou éthiopienne. Planté devant l’une des rares maisons en ciment du quartier, format « boîte d’allumette », un groupe de garçons surveille des véhicules de la police stationnés en contrebas.

De la porte voisine s’échappe de la musique, du kwaito, pulsé à plein volume. Tout à coup, les policiers démarrent en trombe, blindés en tête. Un groupe de jeunes vient d’allumer des vieux pneus. Rien de méchant. Le mal est fait. Les « étrangers », qui cristallisent le ressentiment des quartiers perdus, sont tous partis. Même à la station de police, l’officier de permanence ne peut réprimer une grimace : « Ces gens (les étrangers), quand on les a vus arriver, ils vendaient des couvertures dans la rue. Quelques années plus tard, ils ont tous les magasins. »

Au même moment, au Cap, on célèbre le jour où Nelson Mandela est sorti de prison. A Siyathemba, il n’y a que Teboho, 39 ans, cicatrice en travers du visage, désespérément à la recherche d’une formation de soudeur, qui s’en souvienne, presque à contrecoeur. « Le jour de sa libération, on était là, dingues de joie. On dansait. C’était le plus beau jour de notre vie. Tout allait changer. Et voilà le changement : les jeunes qui n’ont rien à faire, qui ne veulent plus aller à l’école, qui boivent ! Et pas un emploi. « 

Ils en avaient fait des toy toy, à Siyathemba, surtout vers 1986, année de l’état d’urgence. Pour recommencer et se répandre, en 2009, ce ne fut pas trop difficile. A Balfour, le président Jacob Zuma est venu en juillet 2009 pour une visite surprise. Le maire, accusé de tous les maux, a filé se cacher, prétextant une maladie subite. Le président a parlé, promis, convaincu. A présent, Teboho crache son mépris : « Des promesses. Depuis, rien. On en a assez, maintenant. On ne vote plus, on fait des toy toy, et on va voir si on nous entend. »

Le soir même, au Cap, le président Zuma livre devant le Parlement un discours à la nation très attendu. Il s’engage à concentrer ses efforts sur l’emploi, le logement, et les difficultés des townships. Pour exemple, il prend Balfour. Affirme que, depuis sa visite, « un certain nombre de problèmes ont été considérés avec attention ». Mais il avertit : « Il n’y a aucun tort subi qui puisse justifier la violence et les destructions de propriétés. »

Balfour violence flares up again

timeslive.co.za

Feb 9, 2010

Residents of Siyathemba township in Balfour, Mpumalanga have again gone on a rampage after a brief lull this afternoon. A group of young protestors have just set the local library alight. The fire has gutted the inside of the building.

Police are firing rubber bullets at protestors from a casper which is driving through the township. The protesters have retaliated by stoning the vehicle.

Timeslive understands that youths broke the library windows, storming in and setting books and computers on fire. A fire engine, escorted by police guard, has just arrived on scene.

The crowd became rowdy after waiting to hear from community leaders, who have been locked in a meeting with provincial authorities since early this morning.

Residents who also went on the rampage yesterday were waiting to hear from community leaders who are currently discussing their grievances with provincial officials.

Community leaders are said to be tabling issues like the failure of the provincial government to address their basic needs, including jobs, electricity and water supplies.

Yesterday community members said that they wanted the town to be incorporated into Gauteng province.

The renewed protest follows President Jacob Zuma’s unannounced visit to the area in July, after which he announced measures that would address their demands.

The 22 people arrested for public violence linked to the protest will appear in court tomorrow.

Protesters burn Balfour library

news24.com

2010-02-09

Johannesburg – The library in Balfour’s Siyathemba township went up in flames on Tuesday afternoon during a protest that appears to have shifted from labour recruitment demands to an insistence the local mayor resign.

« They are burning the library down, » said police spokesperson Sam Tshabalala, on the third day of violence in the Mpumalanga township.

Earlier, police fired rubber bullets when between 800 and 1 000 people became « irritated » during a meeting outside the Siyathemba community hall.

Zakhele Maya, who says he is a community leader, told Sapa he had been called to address a large crowd outside the hall, and was then told to go to the mayor’s office and ask him to resign.

However, the mayor, Mabelane Tsotetsi, did not give an immediate answer.

Maya said when he returned to the hall he was told people became « irritated » and started burning tyres and police fired rubber bullets.

Tshabalala confirmed that rubber bullets were fired as people ran away and regrouped. Nobody was injured, he said.

Power poles burnt

Earlier in the day, people had made pyres of poles Eskom had planned to use in the area. On the previous two days foreigners’ shops were looted and a municipal office burnt down.

Mpumalanga’s education MEC Reginah Mhaule pleaded with local residents to allow schooling to continue unhindered. Pupils were preparing to rewrite some of their matric exams. The province got one of the lowest matric pass rates.

« On Thursday 11 February 2010, the supplementary examinations for grade 12 learners will commence and my view is that every community should be obliged to ensure that school activities progress without any hassle, » Mhaule said in a statement.

« I am making a humble call to the community of Balfour to allow teachers, learners and non-teaching staff to be in schools so that teaching and learning can progress unhindered. »

Maya blamed « criminal elements » for the violence, saying they had actually helped the foreigners remove their merchandise to safety before criminals moved in.

He complained the criminals were detracting from the real issues – that the local Burnstone Mine hire half its workforce in the local community.

But, Maya said the community had now changed strategy and decided they would for now focus on having the mayor removed.

No confidence

« People have lost confidence in him, » said Maya.

« These are issues that resonate from the previous service delivery protests (of last year). The mayor seems to not assist our people in dealing with the issues. »

MEC for co-operative governance and traditional affairs Norman Mokoena, along with community safety MEC Sibongile Manana and economic development MEC Jabu Mahlangu were expected to visit the area later on Wednesday.

A spokesperson for the provincial government could not immediately be reached to provide further information.

In a statement it said the visit was aimed at assessing the situation.

Mokoena « condemned in the strongest possible terms the unwarranted violence and malicious destruction of property, by certain residents of Balfour ».

The unrest has caused concern because the provincial government felt « great progress » was being made on issues raised by locals during protests in 2009.

« We have set up a task team that includes some leaders of the community, officials from the municipality and the provincial government. The task team has made significant progress on dealing with a number of the issues raised and therefore these acts of violence are unwarranted, » he said.

The National Union of Metalworkers of SA said a service delivery summit was needed to resolve the issues that communities such as Balfour were trying to raise.

However, they condemned the targeting of foreigners.

Twenty two people were expected to appear in the Balfour Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday to face charges of public violence related to the protests. Police expect to make more arrests.

The protests come two days before the state of the nation address by President Jacob Zuma, who visited the area last year during similar protests

Unrest worsens in Balfour township

jacarandafm.com

09 February 2010

By Jacaranda 94.2 Newsteam

A library is set alight as protests continue in Siyathemba.

Residents in Siyathemba went on the rampage as the protests, which broke out on Sunday evening, continued for a third day running. This afternoon, residents set the local municipal library alight, and continue to barricade the streets with burning tyres.

A mob of protestors who were pelting stones at the police had to be dispersed with rubber bullets.

Yesterday the protestors set an office of the local municipality alight and on Sunday evening they were reports of looting at local shops owned by foreign residents.

According to Sergeant Sam Tshabalala the police have so far made 22 arrests and they expecting kto make more arrests following today’s incidents.

Balfour protesters take aim at Zuma

timeslive.co.za

President’s promises on service delivery meant nothing, say residents

Feb 8, 2010

Embattled President Jacob Zuma was under fire again, this time for failing to deliver on promises made to poor residents of Siyathemba township, in Mpumalanga.

Protesters took to the streets of the township, just outside Balfour, and barricaded roads with logs, burning tyres and stones. More than 20 shops owned by foreigners were looted.

Mpumalanga police spokeswoman Superintendent Sibongile Nkosi said 22 people had been arrested for public violence and damage to property.

The protesters demanded that Zuma return to the area to address deficient service delivery they had complained about to him when he visited the area after similar protests last year.

They demanded that Balfour be incorporated into Gauteng, warning that failure to do so could lead to « another Khutsong », referring to another township where violent protests were staged over provincial boundaries.

Siyathemba residents are also unhappy with the local gold mining company, Burnstone, which they accuse of not employing people from the area.

But Dawie Mostert, vice-president of human capital at Great Basin Gold, the parent company of Burnstone mine, said most of the employees were, in fact, local residents.

Balfour shot to international prominence soon after Zuma was sworn in as president last year and violent protests engulfed the area.

In what was hailed as a welcome break with previous government practice, Zuma made an unannounced visit to the area and later announced measures that would address the community’s demands.

Monitoring and Evaluation Minister Collins Chabane, who visited the area soon after Zuma, promised residents that a boarding school for 85 pupils, and an education and training college, would be established in the area. He said the hours of the local Home Affairs office would be extended.

The township was placed on the provincial government’s housing « priority list » and a promise was made that 100 homes would be « built within the current financial year ».

But residents said these had proved to be empty promises.

One of the protesters, Sipho Shabalala, said: « We want Zuma to come here himself. He came last year and made promises. He must come and tell us what happened to all those promises. »

Shabalala complained about the lack of basic services in the township: « I was born here 31 years ago but I haven’t seen any development, no [clean] water or electricity. Foundations for houses have been [laid but not built on] for years. We just want to be incorporated into Gauteng. »

Tebogo Moagi, a member of the community steering committee, which organised the protest, said: « Since the protest [last year] nothing has happened. We have had no response from the municipality. »

Moagi said they wanted the mayor, Lefty Tsotetsi, fired because « things have developed from bad to worse » on his watch.

« We want to know the progress they have made. We want the mayor and council to resign. We won’t stop [protesting] until they resign. They promised development but nothing has happened – look at the roads. »

Zuma’s visit last year caught the mayor off-guard. He had knocked off work early and had to be summoned back when the president arrived at his office unannounced.

Siyathemba residents say the only solution to their problems is for the area to be incorporated into Gauteng, which they believe has a better service-delivery record than Mpumalanga.

« In all areas around us that are under Gauteng there is so much development. Look at Heidelberg and Devon, there is so much development, » said a protester who refused to give his name. « That’s why we want to be incorporated into Gauteng. We are willing to do what Khutsong did. We are willing to do anything. »

After repeated protests, Khutsong residents succeeded in getting their municipal area, Merafong, reincorporated into Gauteng from North West.

Siyathemba committee member Zakhele Maya said they had briefed the team set up by the government after Zuma’s visit about the community’s desire to be incorporated into Gauteng.

« They told us that by December [last year] the Cabinet would have made a decision on the issue. »

Maya repeated the claim that Burnstone was not employing locals.

« They promised capital-intensive mining methods and the creation of decent jobs. We also asked them to create a training centre so as to skill people. That hasn’t happened. »

But Mostert said the accusations were unfounded. « We have employed mostly local people and support community projects, » he said.

Of 224 full-time employes, 108 were local residents, Mostert said. About 50% of the 400 contract workers employed by the mine’s other projects were locally sourced.

« In the past two weeks we have conducted three recruitment drives in the area, in which we interviewed 940 people. We have 320 people competing for only 90 vacant positions, so what do you do with the situation like this? » Mostert said.

Information

Siyathemba Local Municipality is a local municipality in the Pixley ka Seme District Municipality district of the Northern Cape province of South Africa.

~ par Alain Bertho sur 10 février 2010.

Publié dans émeutes, riots