Brandon Pillay, Durban
Marcel King, the youngest son of Alemaine King, of Rinkgreen Walk, Greenbury, was killed on June 24 by the eThekweni (greater Durban) municipal council security force as he defended his helpless mum. Alemaine and her neighbours were confronting the African National Congress-controlled council's officers as they attempted to cut off her electricity.
The King family has had their electricity supply cut off on several occasions. This is common in this community; 75% of the residents in Rinkgreen Walk have had their electricity cut off.
On June 24, Alemaine King called on the community to come together and fight off the latest attempted cut off. Council officials and their security cops were removing electricity cables when community members approached them and asked them to wait until the media arrived. They refused and started to leave.
Alemaine sat on the back of a council security vehicle and refused to move. The security officer drove off. To her own amazement, the tiny woman did not fall off the vehicle. The driver then reversed the vehicle, trying to smash Alemaine against another vehicle. The security officer stopped the vehicle. He grabbed a hold of her and started to assault her.
Marcel witnessed this and approached the guard. As he approached, the officer cocked his gun and pointed it at Alemaine King. Marcel then stood in front of his mum, serving as a shield and willing to give his life for her. Little did Alemaine know that Marcel had been shot, all she remembers is seeing Marcel fall to the ground and blood oozing from him. Marcel was shot in the mouth at point-blank range. Official reports say that 17 rounds of live ammunition were then fired at the community members who had gathered to stop the killing and the disconnections.
The King family has laid charges against the security officer. Yet so far, no suspects have been arrested for Marcel's murder. No weapons have been confiscated.
The security guards, who dress in black uniforms (some in blue), are known in Durban's many poor communities as the "Blackjacks". They were transported in vehicles registered to the Durban council. The council tried to claim they were private security guards. However, after speaking to many residents, it was most certainly municipality security officers who were responsible for this heinous crime. There is no excuse for why no suspects have been arrested. There is certainly a record of who was on duty that day.
Marcel's death comes at a time when South Africa is celebrating 10 years of democracy, as well as the ANC's landslide victory in the recent national and provincial elections. For the first time in the history of KwaZulu-Natal, the province has an ANC-led government.
Communities across Durban — such as Chatsworth, Wentworth, Mpumalanga, Sydenham Heights and Mount Moriah — have also had their electricity and water services disconnected and been evicted from their homes. These communities too have responded to the neoliberal ANC's assault on the poor with protest mobilisations.
The Concerned Citizens Forum (CCF), a grassroots organisation that mobilises opposition to services cut-offs and evictions, has made every attempt to support the family, both emotionally and politically. At the funeral service for Marcel King, held on June 26, community activists from all over Durban made their commitment to the community of Phoenix known.
Alemaine King gave a moving speech at her son's funeral. She thanked the activists for being there. She berated the political parties for trying to buy off the community and spoke out strongly against the ANC government for making false promises. For a woman so emotionally battered by her loss, Alemaine showed incredible strength. People around me just shook their heads and said, "What a woman!".
Alemaine reassured people all over the country that the Rinkgreen Walk community would continue the fight: "Don't give up and don't be afraid because Marcel lost his life. He died a hero. He was protecting me and standing up for his community. We must not live in fear because we think they are going to shoot us. We are stronger. They may have killed Marcel but that is only one, they cannot kill all of us!"
Marcel's memorial service was held on June 28. More than 200 people from Rinkgreen Walk and other poor communities filled a run-down hall. At the service, a very distraught yet incredibly strong Alemaine King urged people to resist: "Use those lights, they are yours! Use that water. It is no longer the government's. It's ours!"
Christabelle, Marcel's younger sister, fighting back her tears, said, in a highly emotional speech, "My brother suffered. [The council is] going to pay. I don't care who is listening, you are going to pay!" Marcel's older brother declared: "The council must never dare to come back here. We will never be quiet. We will stand together and we will fight! We will organise ourselves and now we have the support of people from Chatsworth and other areas."
Orlean Naidoo, chairperson of the Westcliffe Flat Residents Association and a member of the CCF said: "Marcel is a king in the true sense of the word. In Chatsworth, the very same security guards face us. Marcel was powerful and we must never think that we are weak."
The community came away from the service stronger and with a firm desire to form a community movement or organisation.
Marcel King will remain a hero in our hearts. He died for the sake of the poor. He will be sadly missed and always remembered.
[Brandon Pillay is a member of the Bayview Flats Residents Association and the Concerned Citizens Forum, Durban. Abridged from the Centre for Civil Society email list at <http://www.udw.ac.za/ccs/default.asp?2,27,3,440>.]
From Green Left Weekly, July 14, 2004.
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