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Our movement has been going through a tough time. Our land occupations are coming under sustained and illegal state violence. Many of our comrades have been injured and arrested, some have been tortured. We have buried many comrades this year as assassinations have worsened. Death threats have forced a number of comrades into hiding.

The forces of oppression have pursued a dual strategy. With one hand they have mobilised violence against us from the police, private security, the Anti-Land Invasion Unit and the izinkabi. With the other hand they have tried to co-opt people in organisation via an alliance between forces in the ruling party, the National Funeral Practitioners Association of SA (Nafupa-SA) and VBS bank.

Our togetherness has allowed us build and sustain the courage required to survive the violent onslaught. Our radically democratic practices, which include the right to recall anyone from any position, and to dissolve any structure, via a popular vote in an open assembly have allowed us to survive the attempt at infiltration and co-option.

The Special General Assembly held on the 16 September took a resolution to dissolve both the National and Provincial Council of Abahlali. It was immediately replaced with an Interim Council formed by an open vote at the Assembly. The Interim Council was given two main tasks:

1. To prepare for the mass protest that was already planned against repression and killing of Abahlali members. This protest march was a great success in Durban and there were solidarity events in Cape Town, Johannesburg and New York City.
2. To prepare for an early Elective Conference.

Tomorrow we will hold a Policy Conference. In this conference delegates representing all branches in good standing will discuss different policy matters including possible amendments to the Abahlali Constitution to ensure that it is as democratic as is possible. Any proposed changes to the Constitution that emerge from these discussions will be voted on during the Elective Conference.

We will also elect our new leadership during the Elective Conference.
We have had number of consultative discussions with branches and the Chairpersons Council about the process for this election. We have agreed that all branches that will be participating must be in good standing. That means that their membership status must be valid and that their leadership must have been elected according to the agreed on democratic process.

We have also agreed that the number of delegates that branches will be sending will be determined by the size of the branch.
We have also agreed that those branches that are not in good standing will be welcome to attend the conference but they will only hold observer status and will not have voting rights.

All candidates for election must be members in good standing and must have been nominated by at least one branch in good standing. Each candidate who has been nominated for election, and who has decided to accept that nomination, must write a letter explaining what they can offer to the movement should they be elected.

Each branch can nominate a maximum of three candidates for election. Any member in good standing can be nominated but the nominations from each branch must follow our commitment to full and immediate equality between women and men.

We have approached comrades outside of the movement to identify an independent organisation or individuals to help us to ensure that the election is fair. Today the Interim Council is handing all responsibilities related to the election to this Independent Body that will manage our election process.

Issued by Abahlali