QUKASIE, South Africa, Oct 19, Reuter: Residents of Qukasie, a poor South African black township, have rejected government plans to move them and vowed to stay put and strike.
During a noisy meeting today at the Roman Catholic Mission, about 800 people danced, sang freedom songs and voted to stage a one day strike in local factories on Wednesday to protest at being told to move.
Constitutional development and planning Minister Chris Heunis announced last week that Qukasie, near the northern town of Brits, was being abolished. He said its 10,000 residents must move to Leth labile, a new town 25 km (16 miles) away.
Quikasie residents fear that officials may now move in trucks and bulldozer to clear the 55 year old township.
“We want to tell the world, if we go to Lethlabile, it’s not voluntarily. We’ve been forced to go there”, Community leader Levy Mama bolo told the meeting,
Civil rights groups say Heunis’ decision, after a long debate over the future of Qukasie, was made despite a government promise last ‘year to stop the forced removal of blacks.
Article extracted from this publication >> October 24, 1986
