South African Unemployed Peoples' Movement

The South African Unemployed Peoples' Movement (SAUPM) is a social movement with branches in Durban, Grahamstown and Limpopo Province^[1] in South Africa. It is often referred to as the Unemployed People's Movement or UPM. It is strongly critical of the ruling African National Congress.^[2]

Activities in Durban

On Wednesday 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.^[3]

On Wednesday 22 July 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.^[4][5][6] She was placed under house arrest for 18 months following the protest.^[7]

The movement has, working together with

Notes and references

Political history of South Africa Defunct polities Kingdom of Mapungubwe (c. 1075–c. 1220) Dutch Cape Colony (1652–1806) Mthethwa Paramountcy (c. 1780–1817) Cape Colony (1795–1910) Zulu Kingdom (1816–1897) Natalia Republic (1839–1843) Natal Colony (1843–1910) Orange Free State (1854–1902) South African Republic (1856–1902) Griqualand East (1861–1879) Griqualand West (1870–1873) Goshen (1882–1883) Stellaland (1882–1885) Nieuwe Republiek (1884–1888) Upingtonia (1885–1887) Klein Vrystaat (1886–1891) Orange River Colony (1902–1910) Transvaal Colony (1902–1910) Union of South Africa (1910–1961) Transkei (1976–1994) Bophuthatswana (1977–1994) Venda (1979–1994) Ciskei (1981–1994) Events 1652–1815 Dutch settlement French Huguenot settlement Khoikhoi–Dutch Wars Xhosa Wars Battle of Muizenberg Battle of Blaauwberg Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1814 1815–1910 Mfecane 1820 Settlers Great Trek Boer Republics Mineral Revolution Witwatersrand Gold Rush South African Wars South Africa Act 1909 1910–1948 Maritz Rebellion Rand Rebellion Great Depression 1946 African Mine Workers' Union strike Bantustans Apartheid era 1948 general election Apartheid legislation Internal resistance Coloured-vote constitutional crisis Defiance Campaign Congress of the People Freedom Charter Sharpeville massacre 1960 republic referendum International isolation Academic boycott Disinvestment Oil embargo Sporting boycott Rivonia Trial Tar Baby Option Durban Moment Border War Israeli alliance Israel–South Africa Agreement Soweto Uprising Weapons of mass destruction Project Coast Constructive engagement Church Street bombing 1983 constitutional reform referendum Third Force CODESA 1992 apartheid referendum Saint James Church massacre Bophuthatswana coup d'état Shell House massacre Post-apartheid 1994 general election Government of National Unity Reconstruction and Development Programme Truth and Reconciliation Commission Arms Deal African Renaissance Xenophobia Marikana miners' strike 2012 Western Cape farm workers' strike Nkandlagate 2014 platinum strike Political culture Afrikaner Calvinism Baasskap Boerehaat Day of the Vow Greater South Africa Honorary whites Rooi gevaar Slavery Swart gevaar Uitlander Volkstaat Defunct organisations Civic and political organisations Afrikaner Bond Afrikaner Broederbond Afrikaner Party AITUP APO AVF BPC Black Sash CDA CTEG COD Congress Alliance COSG CP Dominion Party DP (1973–1977) DP (1989–2000) DPP ECC FA FD Genootskap van Regte Afrikaners GNP Het Volk HNP ID IP ISL Jeugkrag Johannesburg Reform Committee Labour Party (1910–1958) Labour Party (1969–1994) Liberal Party NA NCP NIC NLP NNP NP NPP NRP NUSAS PFP Progressive Party (Cape Colony) Progressive Party PRP Radio Freedom Reform Party SABP SADECO SAIC SASO SAYCO SAYRCO South African Party (Cape Colony) South African Party (1911–1934) South African Party (1977–1980) TNIP Torch Commando UFP United Party Unionist Party Volksparty Workers Party WOSA Trade unions and social movements APF BCM FOSATU ICU MUSA NEUM PAWE SAAPAWU UDF Umkosi Wezintaba Paramilitary and terrorist organisations APLA ARM BBB Boeremag Greyshirts MK Ossewabrandwag Orde van die Dood SANF Histories of political parties African National Congress Democratic Alliance Pan Africanist Congress of Azania Category

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• Ayanda Kota
• Ben Mafani

See also

• The Death of Reason and the Water Crisis in the Makana Municipality, Xola Mali, 2010
• The Rebellion of the Poor Comes to Grahamstown, UPM Press Statement, 2011
• Ten Theses on Democracy, Amandla Magazine, 2011
• SA, we cannot say we are free, Ayanda Kota, Afro-Spear, 2011
• Sekwenele: It’s enough, Timothy Gabb, Activate, 2011
• Photographic essay on the UPM (Grahamstown), by Timothy Gabb, 2011
• South Africa on the Global Occupy Map, Anne Garrison, 2011
• Malema does not speak for poor youths, Ayanda Kota, Mail & Guardian, 2011
• Students and the working class: towards a living solidarity, Ben Fogel, Amandla Magazine, 2011
• The revolt of South Africa’s untouchables, by Pedro Alexis Tabensky, Pambazuka, 2011
• Secrecy Bill shows ANC's historic mission is over, by Ayanda Kota, Mail & Guardian, December 2011
• Is the SACP Still Relevant?, Mazibuko K. Jara, The Times, 2011
• The Reign of Thugs, by Pedro Tabensky, January 2012
• The Marikana mine workers massacre: a massive escalation in the war on the poor, Ayanda Kota, San Francisco Bay View, August 2012
• Qubuda – another dead brick in the wall of rape imprisoning South Africa, Mandy de Waal, The Daily Maverick, 4 March 2012

Further reading

The movement has suffered arrests in both Grahamstown^[25][26][27] and Durban.^[28]

Repression

According to Mazibuko K. 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."^[24]

The movement claims that the Municipality has often frustrated its right to protest.^[23]

Its current chairperson is Ayanda Kota^[19] and the Grahamstown branch works closely with radical students.^[20] It has close relationships with other social movements in South Africa, has expressed an intention to affiliate to the Poor People's Alliance, is affiliated to the Democratic Left Front and has supported the global 'Occupy' movement^[21] and the struggle against state censorship in South Africa.^[22]

There is also a branch of the Unemployed People's Movement in Grahamstown in the Eastern Cape.^{[9][10][11][12]} It argues for a bottom up system of democracy.^[13] Along with the struggle for employment, housing and electricity^[14] women's issues, including the demand for toilets ^[15] and campaigns against rape,^[16][17] have emerged as key issues in Grahamstown. The movement has had some success in campaigning against corruption in Grahamstown.^[18]

Activities in Grahamstown

[8]