Street vendors prevent Xenophobic attacks in Umtata, Eastern Cape, South Africa

Mr Fundile Jalile, chairperson of StreetNet affiliate, Eastern Cape Street Vendors’ Alliance, reports that the organisation has acted to prevent the occurrence of  Xenophobic attacks on the streets of Umtata. 

We saw that the Xenophobic attacks happening in Gauteng during May and June could spread to Umtata, I approached the Head of Policing Insp Mjeka in Umtata to call a joint meeting with hawkers to spell out clearly that what is happening is not a good thing. Many people attended the meeting and the message was clearly understood that no attacks on people will be tolerated. We said that if someone is taking your goods you must report to the police rather than attack them. We also met with foreign vendors when they had problems.

Several situations were defused involving foreign street vendors who were facing threats and called the police for assistance. In one incident a group of four men threatened foreign shopkeepers that they must close down their shops/stalls or ‘they will be back’. We called the police and who came and then told them to re-open their shops and carry on working.

A meeting was held with provin- cial officials in the provincial capital of Bisho to find out what has been done in the past and how to respond to the problem of refugees and Xenophobia. It was strongly affirmed that refugees are our brothers and sisters and any Xenophobia is an attack on our constitution and our image as a democratic country. The officials appreciated the way  ECSTVA has handled a potentially dangerous situation. As a result there were no Xenophobic attacks on Umtata’s streets involving street vendors. These were prevented as people were able to contact ECSTVA and the police responded immediately to the calls for assistance.

Durban street barbers  negotiate with taxi organisation to make peace

20th June Refugee Day, 2008 -Amvri Djuma, a refugee from DRC Congo,  who works as a street barber in Isipingo, South of Durban, South Africa, related how the street barbers of Isipingo had experienced the problem of Xenophobia when some of the members had had their goods stolen from them. He said as a result of the Mennonite Central Committee and Lawyers for Human Rights' intervention, they had meet the Umbumbulu Taxi Association whose members had attacked them. He said that at the meeting the taxi association had made a public apology for the attacks and undertook to keep their members under control and encouraged them to go back to work. Djuma said he had lost his haircutting equipment in the attack. They were surrounded and then forced to take refuge in a building before the police intervened. Djuma was speaking at an event held to mark Refugee Day on 20th June at the Durban City Hall, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. "Xenophobia is not new. We have been called names ever since w have been here." Appealing to everyone to help end the problems created by Xenophobia, he said, "We have the right to be here."

KOSC South Korea: 21 st Anniversary and Rally 

StreetNet International sends the warmest message of congratulations and solidarity to KOSC on its 21st Anniversary Rally and Congress on the 13th June, 2008. Street vendors in South Korea have been sending a clear message to the government that the right to earn a living is a right that should be recognised. There must be a halt to the harassment and intimidation that accompanies the economic injustices that comes from seeing informal economy workers as a short-term problem that can be "cleaned' from the street. StreetNet calls on the government to engage with street vendors in social dialogue and to stop the practice of forced evictions without finding alternatives for them. Street vendors, as much as other workers, deserve to earn a living with dignity in order to put food on the table to feed their families. 

Viva KOSC!

VIVA StreetNet!

Nothing For Us Without Us!