Cape Town - It's been a decade since the Green Point flea market was a regular fixture on Cape Town’s calendar, and now, hot on the heels of its return, traders are accusing the City of Cape Town of kicking them out of the market area for a football game. Rosheda Muller, chairperson of the Cape Town Stadium Market, said the suspension of trading for Sunday’s game was “being viewed as a betrayal of trust by traders, and a slap in the face of the informal economy”.
However, Mayco member for urban management Grant Twigg said it was stipulated in a trading agreement that the market would not take place on event days. “The trader organisations are well aware that the market will not operate on event days, as communicated with them,” he said. “This condition is part of the trading plan and was agreed to by all parties.”
Muller said the notification that trading would be suspended tomorrow meant “the very existence of our market hangs in the balance”. By the time the notification was received on December 30, traders had already purchased stock. “Traders have been stocking up with consumables and stock for the first Sunday of 2020, anticipating another great trading day. To deny them trading will result in monetary losses, particularly for the food traders.”
I can't believe that the football fixture list hasn't been available to both the city and the traders since the beginning of the football season. Come on people, this is poor planning, stupidity or both.