Western Cape Anti-Eviction Campaign

Mitchells Plain Concerned Traders and Hawkers Association (CHATA) held a meeting and workshop today for its members. CHATA is opposing the relocation process of the Traders in the Town Centre. They have been a driving force in encouraging the city to postpone the relocation process as they have pointed out that it has been unfair and not transparent – CHATA extends gratitude to the Mayor for accepting the request to call off the eviction operation. The city has made claims that within the next ten days it will hold a workshop with Traders regarding concerns about the process before all Traders are asked to move. CHATA welcomes the workshops, but still questions why it is happening now after the process was approved last year. In the meantime, officials and members of the umbrella body are evicting Traders each day – this clearly shows that officials employed by the city are not respecting the Mayor’s request to postpone evictions. CHATA has been helping its members stay in their bays all week. The city is attempting to move traders to each other’s spaces and creating tension amongst traders in the Town Centre.

On November 24, 2009, the Western Cape Informal Traders Coalition (WCITC), of which CHATA is a member, will picket at the Mayor’s office in Cape Town to voice the anger and frustrations of Traders all throughout the Western Cape. After the picketing, the press is invited for a conference to speak with the coalition and traders – more details will come closer to the date. Chairperson of CHATA, Mischka Cassiem, is acting as the interim public relations officer of WCITC.

For more information please contact Mischka Cassiem 0731286657 and Jasmine Page 0733688690