Where the Sun Shines

Since 2003 I have worked with Canada World Youth and Change for Children in many places throughout Africa and Latin America. This website has served as a medium to share my experiences, to tell my stories from "the field". This year (2010) I will be returning to Mozambique to work as a project supervisor again with Canada World Youth.

Thursday, February 26, 2009

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.

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