CHATA: City’s no permit, no trading doctrine is a threat to trader livelihoods

28 02 2010

Mitchell’s Plain Concerned Hawkers and Traders Association
Press Release – 28 February 2010

Event: Mitchell’s Plain and Cape Town Station traders march to Parliament
Date/Time: 2 March, 2010 at 10h00 (assemble at 08h30)
Location: Kaizergracht to the front of Parliament

On Friday, 26 of February 2010, a police officer went around handing out a notice to all informal traders in Mitchell’s Plain Town Centre (click to read notice) that may result in the eventual eviction and loss of space to trade for about 500 CHATA members.

In other words, if the so-called ‘trading plan’ is followed through, 500 people will have had their main source of income destroyed.  This will have an additional negative impact on about 3,000 family members of the traders who rely on that income and also result in job losses for countless other informal workers such as porters, night-time security guards, drivers, etc.  The total negative economic impact of this draconian restructuring of Town Centre on poor residents of Mitchell’s Plain is enormous.  It will even result in higher prices for consumers.  Only formal businesses like Shoprite and Pick n’ Pay stand to benefit. Read the rest of this entry »





The Olympics: Celebrating or Denigrating Our Common Humanity?

27 02 2010

Correction: This article gives incorrect reference to the WC-AEC.  The AEC is not an umbrella body for the Shack Dwellers Movement.  They are two separate movements who work together under the banner of the Poor Peoples Alliance.

By Chris Famighetti
Intern, NESRI Human Right to Housing Program

Taraneh Ghajar Jerven’s recent article in the Christian Science Monitor, “2010 Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony: What about Vancouver’s homeless?” highlights the injustices perpetrated in the run-up to the 2010 Vancouver Olympics.(1) Jerven discusses the expensive development costs associated with the 2010 Olympic Games, where the original budget of $660 million was revised to over $5 billion.(2) Read the rest of this entry »





Solidarity: Philippi small businesses allege corruption in electricity cut

25 02 2010
Press Release – February 25, 2010

The electricity supply to Eisleben Business Park (EBP) established in 1996 in the Greater Philippi where approximately 100 businesses operate has been cut off since August 2009. The park is owned by the Philippi East Development Initiative (PEDI), a Section 21 non-profit company established in 1998, who acquired the park through grant funding from the provincial government. The City of Cape Town is a member of PEDI. Read the rest of this entry »





Media: Traders take to CTN streets

24 02 2010

2010-02-24 05:06:26 – Voice of the Cape

“Down with Premier Helen Zille and Mayor Dan Plato.” These were some of the chants that could be heard as several angry informal traders and hawkers took to the streets on Tuesday morning in protest of new rules and regulations regarding the informal sector, which was implemented late last year. Traders from Bellville, Mitchells Plain and Cape Town gathered at Keizergracht to march to the City of Cape Town’s offices in the CBD. Read the rest of this entry »





When liberators become oppressors

23 02 2010

Tue, 2010-02-23 16:18

Revd Roger Scholtz of the Methodist Church has castigated the authorities for turning themselves into oppressors of the people they once liberated. Read the rest of this entry »





Sikhula Sonke appalled by local ANC members in De Doorns call for a march to the refugee camp

23 02 2010

21 February 2010

Sikhula Sonke has been shocked when we, while busy setting up to stay in Stofland for the evening heard local ANC members who went around with a bakkie and loud hailer instigating residents of Stofland to march to the refugee camp on Tuesday 23 February where Zimbabweans will be asked to leave the country. Read the rest of this entry »





Media: ANC denies knowledge of proposed march

22 02 2010

22 February 2010 – EWN

De Doorns police said on Monday they had not received any requests from the ANC in the region to stage a protest march.

It is understood the party was planning a march to a safety site for foreigners in the town. Read the rest of this entry »





Media: Angry hawkers to march

20 02 2010

2010-02-20 06:29:00 – Voice of the Cape

Irate Mitchells Plain traders will stage a mass march in the CBD next week to protest the City of Cape Town’s new by-law on informal trading, which aims to regulate the sector. The by law came into effect in November and uses a permit system to manage the trading of hawkers. However, traders at Mitchell’s Plain Town Centre believe the system is being deployed to evict hawkers, who are already struggling to make ends meet. Read the rest of this entry »





Media: 1m farm workers evicted in 10 yrs

18 02 2010

2010-02-18 05:51:28 – VOC

“Farm workers earn the least in wages. It is about R1,231 before deductions. They feed the country, but can not even afford to feed themselves. Farmers should pay living wages to their workers.” That was the word from Wendy Pekeur, spokesperson for Sikhula Sonke, an organisation that represents the interests of farm labourers. She added that over the last 10 years, an alarming one million farm workers had been evicted by the farm owners. Read the rest of this entry »





March to Support Informal Trading

18 02 2010

CHATA will be joining the Western Cape Informal Traders Coalition in a march on Tuesday, February 23, 2010. The march will begin from Kaizerchrat in Cape Town at 9am to proceed to the City Building. CHATA has encouraged its members not to collect their permits due to the conditions that will put the Traders out of business. Mitchells Plain Traders are outraged by the Media Release from the Mayor Dan Plato yesterday February 17, 2010. Many issues regarding trading in Mitchells Plain are unresolved. As far as CHATA is concerned, the tribunal has not responded to the main objections of CHATA.

For more information please contact: Mischka Cassiem 073128657 and Naiela 0729050779








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