INFORMAL traders in central Mitchells Plain have clashed with police over permits.
Chaos erupted in the town centre yesterday morning when nearly 100 traders reacted angrily to the arrival of metro police who said they had been instructed by city officials to remove any structures which blocked the walkways. Read the rest of this entry »
By Nomava Nobumba
07 March 2010
Traders of Mitchell’s Plain, Town centre have been evicted by Law Enforcement officials early this morning.
One of the traders who introduced herself only as Jennifer says at about 5am the city officials forced them to leave the area with no eviction letter.
“When I arrive at my stand, they started by vandalising it and confiscated my goods,” she said.
Spokesperson for traders Mischka Cassiem says their livelihood is at stake.
“We have to wait and see, and at this stage I can not comment further until we met with the city,” Cassiem said.
About 700 traders have been affected by the eviction.
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 »
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
Informal Traders in Mitchells Plain Town Centre have been facing the threat of eviction. With a pending removal date of November 2nd, the Traders have been organising to oppose the eviction process. Today the Traders were met with some relief as the process has been postponed once again – the operational eviction has been called off. A workshop, hosted by the city, will be held between the executive members of each Trader’s association in the Town Centre, including CHATA, within the next two weeks. A member of parliament was also invited to attend – Marius Fransman – to discuss the issues facing the traders in Mitchells Plain. CHATA has asked for the intervention of the ANC and they have given their full support to Informal Traders and have successfully helped in negotiating with Mayor Dan Plato. Thanks are given from CHATA to all those who have helped with negotiating the postponement.
The work of CHATA (Concerned Hawkers and Traders Association) is being met with progress and Traders are openly voicing their concerns with the process.
For more information Contact: Mischka Cassiem 073 128 6657 and/or Naiela 072 905 0779
Traders and Hawkers in Mitchells Plain Town Centre were given letters notifying them that by 1 November 2009 all structures and boxes should be removed. Traders were informed to collect their permits starting today, 20 October 2009, and on the 21st and 23rd for their new trading bays. This permit, although, will give the city the authority to evict any trader at any time. The permit system is a means to govern the traders. The traders of Mitchells Plain feel outraged by these conditions.
CHATA continues to fight for the rights of the traders and opposes the current permit system process as it adds to our continued marginalization.
CHATA’s deputy chairperson was also elected to be the Trustee for the Western Cape Traders Coalition, supported by StreetNet International.
For more information please contact: Mischka 073 128 6657 and/or Naiela 072 905 0779 and/or Yasmeen 084 287 5220
On October 2, 2009 Cape Town municipality officials Randall Skrikker and Richard Hollstock handed out notice letters regarding the allocation process in the Mitchells Plain CBD. However, Traders find the contents of the letters to be very intimidating. Traders are still uncertain about the eviction, but law enforcements are already on the scene in the Town Centre – as the letter notes: “Law Enforcement will monitor the area and implement a By-Law enforcement strategy to deal with any infringements.”
Wednesday, October 7, 2009 there will be a meeting with CHATA and city official Mr. Randall Skrikker. This meeting has been called by the Traders to speak to Mr. Skrikker about the irregularities in the allocation process. All are welcome to attend at the Mitchells Plain Town Centre library at 13h00.
As a result of the problematic allocation process, on Wednesday, October 14, 2009 CHATA will be marching against the city’s decisions to move forward with evictions. Traders will organise at 10h30 from the Mitchells Plain Town Centre. The march will resume at 11h00 and go from the Town Centre to Keizergracht Square to continue with the march. All are encouraged to come and support the struggles of the Traders.
For more information contact Mischka at 0731286657, Naiela at 0729050779 and Yasmeen at 0842875220
September 22, 2009
There has been a slight and temporary victory today in the Mitchells Plain Town Centre. City Official Randall Strikker has announced that the eviction of over half of the Town Centre traders has been moved until the end of October. This postponement is a slight victory due to the pressures put on the city by the traders, but it still remains that the city will continue with evictions.
Yesterday, September 10, 2009, in the Mitchells Plain Town Centre, the concerned Traders were informed that the City of Cape Town would not attend the meeting that was scheduled by Traders. CHATA (Concerned Hawkers and Traders Association) was informed of this cancellation on the grounds that the city claims they cannot negotiate with the Traders. The meeting was intended by CHATA to inform the city of the irregularities and unfair & unconstitutional policies that have become implemented in the renovation and relocation process of the Town Centre. City representative, Mr. Fritz, informed CHATA chairperson, Mischka Cassiem, that the city cannot meet the “demands” of the Traders. The city also claimed that the trader umbrella body must be consulted by CHATA with any further questions about the process.
CHATA feels that this is a poor and lame excuse. The city wants Traders to hear from other Traders the issues that the city has imposed. This makes the city not liable for the rules and unconstitutional provisions that they have put in place in order to further their own agenda and control the Traders. If Traders have questions on the relocation process that will inevitably evict over half of the current Traders, the city should me more than willing to answer these questions and at least attend meetings that have been called. CHATA knows that the city did not attend the meeting because it has also recently become aware of the fact that CHATA is now affiliated with SAMWU, COSATU and StreetNet. The strength of the traders will not be broken.
Mitchells Plain Town Centre Traders have been under the threat of eviction for over two months now. New bays have been numbered and allocated in a process that is undemocratic. The consulting party for the City of Cape Town has informed Traders that the relocation will begin next week. Mr. Paul Williamson of the City of Cape Town was supposed to issue letters informing Traders about the next phase of the relocation, but these letters were never received. There is currently an investigation on the urban renewal program in Mitchells Plain, so why is the city still moving forward with the relocation process? The process should be stopped until at least the investigation has been completed. Mr. Waleed George is also no longer the facilitator and consultant between the city and the traders as his contract was terminated by the city. What is happening in Mitchells Plain? Why is the city not following through with its demands? Why are the Traders not being informed?
The issue is pressing and the livelihoods of many traders are at stake.
Contact: Mischka Cassiem 0731286657 or 0745257336
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