Street Vendors in Durban Forced to Relocate

An article I wrote Feb 26th as a press release and for the StreetNet Newsletter. Basically sums up a lot of the work I have been doing here in Durban.

Street Vendors in Durban Forced to Relocate:Thousands of Informal Workers Possibly Affected

A long-awaited meeting organised by the local municipality of Durban on 18th February, 2009 called by City Manager presented the re-development plans that are being fast-tracked to coincide with FIFA World Cup in 2010. The City Manager, Mike Sutcliffe, informed street vendors’ associations about the relocation of vendors and planned changes to re-direct traffic. The development will dramatically change the market where currently an estimated 4 500 traders work in what is a thriving hub of informal economy activity. Approximately one million people pass through the area every day en route from from the station, taxi and bus ranks.

Street vendor organisations, members of the Durban-based SISONKE Alliance who are partners of the World Class City for ALL Campaign wrote a protest letter to the municipality on January 9th asking why the city had not yet conducted meaningful consultations with the local informal traders’ associations on the upcoming FIFA development plans and projects. WCCA Campaign’s request for a negotiations meeting so as to ensure the working poor are not excluded in the development process of the city in its preparations to host the 2010 World Cup has not been formally responded to.

The city manager announced the following developments:
A large retail shopping mall, Warwick Mall, will be constructed where the current thriving Warwick Market is currently situated;
Relocation of 30 registered street food vendors (Bovine Head Cookers) from their current location to the English Market.
237 informal street traders (permit holders) who currently work in the Warwick Market area will be relocated to the square in front of the new Warwick Mall.
Re-routing of the major throughways surrounding the Warwick Junction in order to lessen traffic congestion. This development will include the establishment of a new taxi rank to be located on the top floor of the new Warwick Mall.

Street vendors raised a number of concerns on the redevelopment and its impact on the local informal street traders’ livelihoods at the meeting.

Gaby Bikombo, a member of Siyagunda, a street barbers’ organisation which has members trading on the pavements in Warwick said:

“I am very concerned about the impact on the community of street traders at the market because of the closure of the Warwick Avenue. It is not clear how this will indirectly affect their families, who they are supporting as breadwinners. The city’s plan to introduce formal traders in the midst of the informal traders’ market is likely to pose a problem taking trade away from informal traders who have traditionally earned a living here, as they have now to compete. The planners are insensitive to the informal traders’ livelihoods”.

He continued to explain how “in other countries, informal traders have lodged formal protests with government to stop such retail development as the urban poor livelihoods are jeopardised. Many have no alternative mean of earning a living and public land usage becomes an issue of contestation.”

On March 12th the City has proposed a second meeting with street vendor organisations to discuss the details of the project and to consult further regarding the development. The reality however is that for many of the street traders it is difficult to take the time off to attend such meetings as they are not compensated for their time and risk losing potential earnings.

Durban Politics

Today we went to an interesting meeting with the city manager, where I was thoroughly appalled by the manner in which he suggested the street traders will go from orange sellers to big business owners all through the help of the private sector and the development of a mall. And not just any mall, but one which will go directly over an area were thousands of south africans are presently trading and making a living! I was brave and challenged the city manager on several of his points. In his general response, to all the questions the crowd had, he made reference to my several of my points and then by way of a comeback , as I think he thought I was American, he blamed the American economic crisis for massive unemployment in Durban. Little does he know I am a Canadian and have a little less to do with the economic crisis than he thinks....

When we returned to the office, my coworker thanked me for my intervention and I was happy to have been so productive. It was a moment where I truly felt my politicial science background was being put to good use! I think I will learn lots through working at Streetnet and that it will be a steep learning curve but a very rewarding and exciting opportunity!

Durban ~ South Africa

Only a couple days into my time here, in Durban South Africa, and I already feel I have seen and learned so much. In general things here are going very well. I am really enjoying the warm, balmy weather of Durban. It really is perfect, not too hot nor it is cool, however, it is a bit humid and you need to shower at least twice a day. I am loving the food, lots of tasty n spicy Indian food. Yesterday I had something known as a bunny chow, which is bascially a Durban staple consisting of a quarter loaf of bread cut open with a pile of yummy veggie curry inside of it. Today I had a healthy portion of dahl and veggie byrani for a $1.50. Tomorrow I think I will try some Roti. There is a very large Indian community here, hence all the inexpensive authentic Indian food. I am truly in heaven!
 
Since I boared the plan in Frankfurt and travelled 12hr south to Joberg I feel like I have been learning a ton. On the plane I watched 3 South African films, gaining more insight into the history and present day realities of life in South Africa, which if I could sum it up: very interesting, dynamic, inspiring, and complicated.

I am confident I will learn a lot through my internship placement. I am interning with an organization called StreetNet. You can check them out online: www.streetnet.org.za On my frist day I arrived a bit late and dived right into things, as I joined the weekly stafff meeting, after which one of my co-worker's Rudy took me with him to a Street Vendors' Associaion meeting. It was really quite interesting as the association was preparing for a meeting with the municipality. It is important that they are taken seriously at this meeting as the city has plans to build a large private shopping mall where the current market exists, the exact same place were many of these street vendors make their living. The city doesnt have any plans for where they will all go, but does know how and where the new big shopping mall will go!After the meeting, Rudy took me on a bit of a tour of the large downtown market. We visited the traditional medicial herb section of the market, which was fascinating, and there I met the Chairperson for the SEWU (self employed women's union).

My first day was very hands on and included a lunch out and help setting up my cellphone and finding the public bus schedule and a bus pass. My second day was more informational, and I learned more as to what my role will be working with them as an intern for the next 6 weeks. I will be assisting with the organization of their most recent campaign, entitled: World Class Cities for All. As South Africa prepares to host the World Cup next year, StreetNet is working to ensure the working urban poor dont get left out of the process as the city prepares itself to become a World Class City for the international tourists who are expected to arrive next year for the popular international sporting event. Their main focus in the campaign are protecting the street vendors, as there are all sort of plans in the making to develop the downtown and turn the markets into fancy shopping districts where presently hundreds of people make their livelihoods. Tomorrow I will attend a meeting with the City Developer who will unveil the already approved development plan of a large private shopping mall which will replace the downtown city centre market. I expect this to be a very interesting meeting.

Apart from the campaign I will be working to update their membership database and conact all their affiliates and member organizations as to get updates on their activities and various campaigns. My coworkers have given me a lot of very interesting literature to read through as to better my understanding of the informal ecomony and how they work to negoitate with the municipalities for better conditions for the urban working poor.

We have also already discussed other ideas and projects I could potentially work on such as putting together a powerpoint presentation and enewsletter for the campaign and possibly some short videos highlighting some of their members, personalizing the struggles and realities of the people they are fighting for. All in all, it looks like they will be fully utlizing my skills, and experience and in exchange I will be gaining a lot of insight and increased understanding of South Africa's informal economy and the work that grassroots groups like Streetnet are doing to improve such conditions.
 
I should also point out that I am staying in a beautiful bed and breakfast in an area known as Durban North, an upper class neighbourhood, near the sea. Yesterday I took a walk to the beach and it was soooooo nice... imagine tourquoise waters and a white sandy beach! SO BEAUTIFUL! My only complaint is that I live very far from my work, so I either have to take a taxi or the public bus, on the the bus that means a 30 to 45 minute ride, including quite possibly a half an hour wait for the bus to arrive, if actually does arrive! Today I waited an hour for the bus on my way there and nearly an hour on the way home, and both times no bus was had! I think it was a total test of my patience. Which I know is fairly good, but one hour both ways is a bit much!

Kassel Update

The last few weeks have been flying by and I can hardly believe that it is already February and the semester is nearly finished. My sincerest apologies for the lack of updates on the blog. I hope that I will get better at keeping it up while I am away next month in South Africa.

Nonetheless what can I say regarding my studies and time here in Germany? In general I still am thoroughly impressed by the programme and my overall learnning environment. I dont think I realized how much I would enjoy being a student again, really having the time to fully engage in reading and researching about topics that really fascinate me! The main topics I have focused on during my first semester have included: the role of pension funds in financial crisis, the politics of export processing zones, trade policies and the global food crisis, and finally my most recent, and defintely most intensive, research topic of the semester was in my qualitative research methods class where we traced the process that led to the involvement of trade unions in the protection of migrant domestic workers. This project was A LOT of work, though in the end very rewarding. The research included several formal and informal interviews with trade unionists, activits, domestic workers, aupairs, etc. All and all very interesting, as I re-learned the important role of social movements in political process! The work for Social Movements DOES make a difference!

Truthfully speaking I am really enjoying the active engagement with my inner spirit that seeks to understand why all the injustice and greed in this world!Through my studies I have been learning more about the political and economic realities that allow such conditions to take palce. Having said that I actually feel pretty privileged to have the time and money to really take time off and actually reflect on these questions.

By this time next week I will have completed the semester and will find myself in Durban, South Africa ready to start my 6 week internship with an organiation called StreetNet! I will be voluntarily working there as an intern through till the end of March and then I shall come back to Berlin. But before Berlin, I plan to make a a short trip to Mozambique! I cant wait to vist that wonderful, magical place again!

Finally, I should mention as exciting as it sounds to go to South Africa I am actually a bit sad to be leaving Kassel. I have recently developed a good group of friends with many clasmates from the programme and from my German class. We have had been having all sorts of outings, dinners, get togethers,etc.Again reinforcing its not always about the location but the people you meet and connect with. I have also really enjoy my apartment here, despite its expensive price tag and less to be desired location, I am feeling very much at home at Mombachst 38. Especially living with my two Chinese room-mates, Elaine and Miao, they have been so great! Truly speaking an intercultural experience! I will also miss being able to speak almost all the languages I have ever studied on a regular daily basis here in Kassel! Its been such a rare opportuity whereby I can utlize all my language skills nearly everyday--- speaking Portuguese, Spanish, Russian and some French! Also I will miss the bourgouise student mensa(German for cafeteria) with its great subsidized lunches.... and of course I will also miss my fun Friday night salsa rueda classes!

All in all, it has been great. I have recently made some new friends and dont want to leave them and Kassel behind but unfortuately I must move on and off to South Africa I must go...