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World Class Cities FOR ALL Campaign launched by StreetNet 

The South African launch of the International Campaign, World Class Cities FOR ALL (WCCA) by StreetNet took place on Tuesday 28 November 2006, at COSATU House in Braamfontein, Johannesburg. 

The key speakers at the Campaign launch were StreetNet International Co-ordinator, Ms Pat Horn and Ms Alina Rantsolase, National Treasurer of COSATU. 

The launch was also attended by representatives of many Johannesburg-based organisations that have joined the campaign as partners.

The WCCA Campaign objective is to challenge the traditional elitist approach to building “World Class Cities” in preparation for the FIFA World Cup in 2010 in South Africa - and create a new, more inclusive concept of “World Class Cities for All” with the participation of street vendors and other groups of the (urban) poor. 

Horn said the campaign will have a strong focus on women and other vulnerable street vendors who are the first to lose their livelihoods and are the most invisible in most plans for “World Class Cities”.

Planning of World Class Cities

Horn said that it has become a predictable reality that when a country prepares to host a high-profile international event, the country and its local government authorities prepare to create “World Class Cities” of a particular type, i.e. World Class Cities which:

- will attract foreign investment;
- have modern up-to-date infrastructure;
- have no visible signs of urban decay;
- have smooth traffic flows;
- have no visible poor people or social problems.

This usually includes the eviction of street vendors, sometimes accompanied by “slum clearance” programmes in which the poorest members of the population also lose their homes. 

Many of the new homeless, being unable to enter the formal labour market, are also in the informal economy - many of them street vendors - which means that such people lose both their homes and their livelihoods at the same time, leaving little for them to fall back upon as their survival strategy. 

The WCCA is calling for municipalities to respect the Campaign’s call for “no evictions without viable alternatives” as well as for “social dialogue and negotiation”.

The 24 partner organisations that have already joined the WCCA Campaign and the platform of demands to municipalities for “World Class Cities for ALL” were announced at the launch. 

The WCCA Campaign demands to municipalities:

1. Formally adopt an inclusive concept of “World Class Cities for All” with the participation of street vendors and other groups of the (urban) poor - with a strong focus on women and other vulnerable street vendors who traditionally have been the first to lose their livelihoods and be the most invisible in previous plans for “World Class Cities”.

2. Undertake to ensure that no individual or group of street vendors shall be unduly disadvantaged by any urban improvement or urban renewal initiatives in preparation for the FIFA World Cup of 2010.

3. Undertake that any relocation of street vendors, informal market vendors or hawkers in operation prior to any urban improvement or urban renewal initiatives shall necessarily include viable and acceptable alternatives which are accessible to even the poorest traders, including women and traders with disabilities.

4. Undertake to engage in participatory consultative processes with any persons or interest groups who may be affected in any substantive or material manner by any aspect of urban improvement or urban renewal initiatives envisaged in the creation of World Class Cities.

5. Undertake to engage in social dialogue or substantive negotiations with any potentially affected persons or groups or their democratically elected representatives, in any situation where urban improvement or urban renewal initiatives may have a bearing on their work or livelihood.

6. Establish multi-stakeholder negotiating forums in each city to ensure inclusive non-sectarian negotiations and consultations processes.

7. Commit to the WCCA campaign of StreetNet International leading up to the FIFA World Cup in 2010.
(Compiled by StreetNet International)

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