Occupy South Africa
[1] On 18 March 2011 a video purportedly by the hacktivist group 'Anonymous' was released by Winds of Change Media calling on the South African people to rise up against the government and the capitalist system.
[6] The call went viral over the week preceding 15 October and many social groups and individual activists started preparing for the occupation of symbolic locations in their cities.
Saturday, 15 October witnessed South Africa's first coordinated occupation which took place in five cities simultaneously, namely Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban, Grahamstown and East London.
[7] Ayanda Kota, the chairperson of the Unemployed People's Movement said: ""We, the poor, suffer whenever companies fix the price of bread or when there are more job losses while chief executives get rich.
This had culminated in "a negotiated solidarity based on equality" between disillusioned middle-class youth and grassroots communities, which had "explosive political potential".
[8] Andrew Bennie of the Democratic Left Front movement (DLF)noted in an interview with ABN news that South Africa's class divide was worse than many countries also Occupying.
City police stopped people bringing a trailer in and tried to tell a crafter not to sell his wire beaded flowers but the occupiers insisted he be allowed to stay.
[12] Mario Wanza, of 'Proudly Manenberg' and one of the organizers of Occupy Cape Town stated that "People have started realising that political parties don't have the answers.
Discussions were had about the possibility of making it a weekly occurrence into the future and seeking greater cooperation with other civil society groups and grassroot movements.
[8] Sarah Dawson argued on behalf of the largely middle class attendance that "The movement is clearly not about "The Poor" with a capital P, but about a systemic problem.
Richard Pithouse and Ayanda Kota addressed the crowd and spoke about how although the government officials were not present, they would hear of the day's events.
Ayanda Kota and some UPM comrades went into the municipal buildings and threw fecal matter inside to protest the bucket system, all of which was broadcast on South African news.
[11] Ben Fogel stated that Occupy Grahamstown offers hope to the South Africa left, as it shows that radical students and the poor can form a political alliance based upon equality and solidarity.
[18] Chloe Menteath stated that five people later to be six stood underneath the East London Steve Biko Statue and in front of the Imperialists Old Shack.
