Cape Town - The Gatesville Informal Traders Association (GITA) has written an open letter to Mayco member for Urban Management Grant Twigg, lambasting the City over its process to temporarily relocate a group of ‘historical traders’ in Rylands.
The City’s Urban Management directorate’s temporary plan to reduce congestion and assist with physical-distancing would mean that some 24 informal traders along Hazel and Doreen Roads would be relocated into one service road westbound of Old Klipfontein Road between Hazel and Doreen Roads.
Traders would be moved into a closed lane with signage and barriers which will only take place from Friday to Saturday from 6am to 6pm.
“Covid-19 has inadvertently brought about further economic hardship and challenges to an already unpredictable and volatile business environment. We question the City’s motive behind this anticipated move in October, taking into account that the current national lockdown status is on Level 1.
“We view this action with reservation, and demand an explanation why 24 informal traders are being targeted and divided. We view this as victimisation. What started out as ‘Covid-19 and congestion’ has revealed itself as an attempt by the CoCT to move us,” read the letter.
Interim spokesperson for the 24 traders, Imtiyaz Shaik said: “For the last few months, they have been trying to move us since before Covid-19. It was quiet until level 3, then they came up with a ploy that we must move because of Covid-19. We are standing on a legal block that we have been trading on for over 30 years. None of these hawkers had Covid-19.”
Twigg clarified that the Gatesville area was identified as a hotspot for congestion, not Covid-19.
“Based on this, the City’s Urban Management Directorate started engaging with stakeholders last year, including businesses and informal traders in the area to discuss a proposed proactive short-term Covid-19 risk mitigating plan to be implemented.”
Throughout this month, the public was able to submit their comments on the proposed plan.
Cape Argus