Opperskalski
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| Michael Opperskalski |
The African National Congress government followed the example of the apartheid regime in its handling of the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) the anti-globalization protesters charged.
This followed a series of incidents in late August in which protesters – among them senior leaders of organizations preparing to march in protest on the main summit venue in Sandton – have been arrested and others already in police custody tear-gassed. More evidence also emerged of what these groups charge is harassment by the African National Intelligence Agency.
The National Land Committee (NLC) and Landless Peoples Movement (LPM) of South Africa, both joined the vocal anti-globalization protests against the Johannesburg summit. They have condemned the police actions as "deliberate destabilization of the LPM’s organizing activities…and tantamount to the kind of brutalities inflicted on the dispossessed masses, during the very dark days of apartheid."
Seventy-two LPM activists remain in police custody, after being arrested at the march on Gauteng Premiert Mbhazima Shilowa's office, to demand the end of forced removals of squatters from informal settlements. Protesters accused Shilowa’s government of dumping African squatters miles from Johannesburg, to hide poverty from all the summit delegates.
Many squatters were arrested and later freed, except former Mail & Guardian reporter Ann Eveleth, an American citizen and now the NLC and LPM media adviser. Deportation proceedings by the South African government were started against Eveleth.
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 South African government felt embarrassed when 20,000 protesters arrived at the Durban racism conference.
It is clear from the arrests now, that they are trying to crush plans for mobilization against this conference."
Late in August 83 former soldiers were tear gassed while in police custody, after they refused to be moved to a prison to await trial. The former soldiers are members of the Soldiers Forum (SF), an affiliate of the Anti-Privatization Forum. These former soldiers demanded pensions that they were promised.
South African police are bracing themselves for an onslaught of marches.
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