Mitchells Plain Traders Respond After March

Following a march that was held by the Mitchells Plain Traders on 03 June 2010 the City of Cape Town has responded through to both CHATA and the 5^th Avenue Traders Associations. The city has noted that the issues pertaining to CHATA and the 5^th Avenue Traders are distinctly different from one another. Mayoral Committee member Felicity Purchase has states that the process is not finalized and the allocation of bays will be revisited.

CHATA and other trades belonging to the other 6 different trader associations are not happy with the relocation. Although, it has been reported by the city that traders are extremely happy. This is an issue that CHATA will challenge with the city; traders are not happy. CHATA is requesting a meeting with all of the traders in the Town Centre, the Ward Councillor, the Sub-Council, the Mayor and Felicity Purchase.

In the Town Centre, the traders are not interested in gaining power or benefiting from the process, instead it is an issue of the livelihoods of traders that have been affected tremendously. Traders need to trade where there are feet and not on an island.

It was said that tourists would visit the Mitchells Plain Town Centre during the FIFA 2010 World Cup, but nothing is happening here for the traders and hawkers during this time. Instead, the nearby community is still supporting traders, as is the case on a daily basis.

One demand from CHATA was that reports from the tribunal and workshop that were conducted be made public documents. The city has not responded to this demand and we ask why? CHATA continues to pursue this demand as the public has a right to see what went on in these sessions.

For more information please call Mischka Cassiem (CHATA) at 0731286657 or Jasmine Page (5th Avenue Traders) at 0733688690

Press Release: Mitchells Plain Traders respond to march

Traders of Mitchells Plain marched to the city offices on Thursday, June 3, 2010. A memorandum from 5^th Avenue Traders and CHATA was handed out at the march to government official Mr. Paul Williamson. The memorandum addressed the eviction of traders in Mitchells Plain, the exclusion of traders due to the 2010 FIFA World Cup and the harassment and intimidation to traders by law enforcement. CHATA and the 5^th Avenue Traders Association had a brief discussion regarding the traders who are not trading. Mr. Paul Williamson responded that they could only deal with these issues after the FIFA World Cup and that all the politicians and officials are in recess during this time. However, CHATA is very disappointed in the response from Mr. Paul Williamson and CHATA has also made it clear that the process was unjust and unfair. Councilor Natalie Bent has also admitted that the members of CAHTA have been suffering in having no income for so long. CHATA is also awaiting a response from Councilor Natalie Bent as she promised to engage with the Mayor regarding the evictions.

CHATA also sends out a message that there are traders writing letters claiming they are members of CHATA. CHATA requests that the executive confirm all letters sent on behalf of the association.

CHATA has also unified itself with the 5^th Avenue Traders Association who supports CHATA. The 5^th Avenue Traders Association is part of the Mitchells Plain Traders Umbrella Body.

For more information please contact Mischka Cassiem at 0782422263 or 0745257336

Mitchells Plain Traders: CHATA Arrests and Responses

On Saturday, 24 April 2010, one of CHATA’s members was arrested from the Town Centre market and her goods were confiscated. The city of Cape Town did not issue a confiscation or eviction notice prior to the arrest. Additionally she was trading on land owned by a private owner giving the city no legal ground for the confiscation of her goods. There needs to be more pressure put on the City of Cape Town and the government of South Africa for the mass actions being taken throughout the country against informal traders. Goods are being stolen every day and the government is defending this act by claiming they have the right to confiscate what they do not feel is being sold in the right manner. Legal action needs to take place against these acts.

Additionally, CHATA is responding to a newsletter that has been circulated by The Mitchells Plain Town Centre Merchants Association, discrediting CHATA in its fight for the poor. The chairperson for the MPTCMA is Dr. MC Roomaney, telephone number: 021 392 8130.

CHATA, in particular, is responding to targeted attacks and claims in the newsletter. The MPTCMA stated that “…we exposed these people for the selfish, greedy and obstructionist opportunists they are” in the workshop with the mayor help on 18 November 2009.

Press Release: Livelihoods and Business Lost for Mitchells Plain Town Centre Traders

The community of Mitchells Plain and the majority of Traders express disappointment at the local government in the way they have handled the allocation process in the Town Centre. According to the City they have followed procedure, but CHATA still objects to this claim as their grievances have not been listened or responded to.

The City claims CHATA has a membership of 15 people, when in reality CHATA’s membership is nearly 300 people each with a membership form completed in their own handwriting.

The situation in the Town Centre has not improved since the clearing of the lanes. Traders who have collected permits and are trading in city allocated spaces are extremely unhappy with the condition of the permits, the physical trading areas and they cannot sustain their livelihoods in the areas where they have been moved. Most Traders would agree that there has been a loss of business since the evictions on Monday, March 8, 2010.

The livelihoods of many people in Mitchells Plain were lost on Monday and the City must not continue to ignore the rights of the people.

For more information please call Mischka Cassiem at 0731286657 or Yasmeen at 0842875220

Media: Traders furious as cops dismantle their stalls

See also a radio786 interview with trader Mischka Cassiem

March 09, 2010 Edition 1
NIKITA SYLVESTER Staff Reporter – Cape Argus

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.

Media: CHATA march postponed

2010-03-02 06:01:32 – Voice of the Cape

The march by the Concerned Hawkers and Traders Association (CHATA) and the Cape Town Station traders, which was due to take place on Tuesday morning to Parliament, has been postponed. According to the spokeswoman for CHATA, Mischka Cassiem, the Cape Town Station traders were waiting on a meeting to take place between Cosatu and the City of Cape Town, before any further action is taken.

Media: Traders take to CTN streets

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.

March to Support Informal Trading

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

Letters Issued to Traders in Mitchells Plain Town Centre

On February 12, 2010, city officials Richard Holdstock and Randall Skrikker handed out notices to Traders in Mitchells Plain Town Centre to collect their new permits on the 15^th, 16^th and 17^th of February 2010. However, CHATA (Concerned Hawkers and Traders Association) feel that this is undemocratic. The permit will enable the city to control Traders in that they will be limited to strict conditions. In a workshop attended by CHATA last October 2009, Mr. Iran Anthony said clearly that those who are happy with the reallocation process must move and those who are not happy should stay until their grievances are sorted. CHATA feels that the city has created the by-law in order to control the informal sector and a call for assistance is also going out to National Government for intervention.

CHATA has now become part of the Western Cape Fresh Produce Crisis Committee in the Epping Market. Further discussion about the rights of Traders will be discussed in the near future.

For more information please contact Mischka Cassiem 0731286657, Naiela Harneker 0729050779, Yasmeen 084 287 5220

Informal Traders Meeting with Officials Tomorrow in Mayor’s Quarters of Cape Town Civic Centre

The Western Cape Informal Traders Coalition (WCITC) are meeting Mansoor Mohammed at 9h00 tomorrow, December 2, 2009, at the Cape Town Civil Centre, in the Mayor’s quarters on the sixth floor. The people that will be attending will be representatives of each area trading in Cape Town including CHATA (Concerned Hawkers and Traders Association) of Mitchells Plain Town Centre. This is another meeting regarding the memorandum given to officials by the WCITC. They traders gave officials seven days, but they responded within three. The memorandum states that there needs to be a moratorium on the evictions, confiscations, harassments and all other issues pertaining to the informal sector. Press is invited to speak with the Coalition starting at 8h30 in the cafeteria of the Cape Town Civic Centre.

For more information please contact Mischka Cassiem 0731286657 and/or Nkosinathi 0718268076