South African Unemployed Peoples' Movement

The South African Unemployed Peoples' Movement is a social movement with branches in Durban, Grahamstown and Limpopo Province"Fighting for Our Right to Work – Organising the Unemployed", Jeanne Hefez, Frontlines of Revolutionary Struggles, 2011 in South Africa. It is often referred to as the Unemployed People's Movement or UPM. The organisation is strongly critical of the ruling African National Congress government.Mixed feelings after Centenary celebrations, South African Broadcasting Corporation, 9 January 2012

Activities in Durban On 15 July 2009, the movement announced that it would begin appropriating food from supermarkets in Durban if the state did not agree to consult with it on its demand for a basic income grant of R1,500 per month for all unemployed people.'Give us a basic grant of R1500 or we’ll wreak havoc', Canaan Mdletshe, The Sowetan, 17 July 2009

On 22 July 2009, the movement occupied the Checkers supermarket in Dr Pixley KaSeme Street and the Pick'n'Pay supermarket at The Workshop and began to eat food off the shelves without paying. Police said they arrested 44 people at Checkers and 50 people at Pick'n'Pay. Nozipho Mteshana, then the chairwoman of the movement, said that the appropriation of food in supermarkets would continue despite the arrests.'Looting sprees to continue: 94 arrested for protest thefts at supermarkets', Mpume Madala, Daily News, 23 July 2009'The Outrage of South Africa's Poor Threatens Their President', Megan Lindow, Time Magazine, 23 July 2009'Bazitapele ezitolo bekhala ngendlala', Bonisa Mohale & Celani Sikhakhane, Isolezwe, 22 July 2009 She was placed under house arrest for 18 months following the protest.Social Movements are Fighting for a Good Cause – We are Not Criminals, Ayanda Kota

The movement has, working together with Abahlali baseMjondolo, also organised a number of protests from the Zakheleni shack settlement in Umlazi, Durban.Service failure: next step, silence the dissent, Many de Waal, Daily Maverick. 25 June 2012

Activities in Grahamstown There is also a branch of the Unemployed People's Movement in Grahamstown in the Eastern Cape.Unemployed People's MovementUnemployed People's MovementDemanding Not Requesting Says UPM, Grocott's Mail, 2011Is the SACP Still Relevant?, Mazibuko K. Jara, The Times, 31 July 2011 It argues for a bottom up system of democracy.Ten Theses on Democracy, Amandla Magazine, 2011 Along with the struggle for employment, housing and electricityPicket sparks City Hall action, Thembani Onceya. Grocott's Mail, 3 May 2013 women's issues, including the demand for toilets The Unemployed People's Movement and the Women's Social Forum March for Toilets this Friday, 2011 and campaigns against rape,Pupil rape: marchers call for police action by Chelsea Geach Daniella Favis & Loyiso Djongman, Grocott's Mail, 4 May 2012Thandiswa Qubuda – another dead brick in the wall of rape imprisoning South Africa, The Daily Maverick, 4 March 2012 have emerged as key issues in Grahamstown. The movement has had some success in campaigning against corruption in Grahamstown.Mayor confirms housing scam, Malibongwe Dayimani & Danielle Gordon, Grocott's Mail, 7 August 2013 The movement has also opposed xenophobia.Xenophobia in Grahamstown: 'We are not leaving!', KJ VAN RENSBURG, F MTHONTI & M ERSKOG, The Daily Maverick, 29 October 2015The languages of xenophobia in post-apartheid South Africa: Reviewing migrancy, foreignness, and solidarity, Agenda, Camalita Naicker, 2016

Its current chairperson is Ayanda KotaOccupy South Africa on the Global Occupy Map and the Grahamstown branch works closely with radical students.Occupy Wall Street uprising could be 'explosive', Niren Tolsi, Mail & Guardian, 2011

According to commentator Mazibuko Jara, "it has become the most powerful force in the Makana municipality. Its formation represented a collective recognition of the appetite for self-emancipation, and without self-organisation, the unemployed in Grahamstown might as well have remained on the margins of that divided small town. In its short two years of existence, the movement has marched, written deputations, submitted memorandums of demands, held sit-ins, held meetings with the state, used the law and more. It has challenged unemployment, poor-quality housing, lack of housing, lack of water and sanitation, lack of electricity and street lighting, violence against women and problems with the social security system. The movement has humanised politics by concerning themselves with how to rebuild the social fabric of a poor community."Is the SACP Still Relevant?, Mazibuko K. Jara, The Times, 31 July 2011

Repression The movement has suffered arrests in both GrahamstownOutcry over ‘savage assault’, ADRIENNE CARLISLE and DAVID MACGREGOR, The Daily Dispatch, 14 January 2012Grahamstown activist arrested for book theft FARANAAZ PARKER, Mail & Guardian, 13 January 2012UPM leader arrested and allegedly beaten by police, Desiree Schirlinger & Michael Salzwedel, Grocott's Mail, 13 January 2012 and Durban.Service failure: next step, silence the dissent, Many de Waal, Daily Maverick. 25 June 2012 It claims that in Grahamstown the Municipality has often frustrated its right to protest.Protests unlikely to dent ANC support at polls BY TROYE LUND,Financial Mail, 10 October 2013

South African Unemployed Peoples' Movement

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