[Edit: This story has been updated. The City has identified that one of the traders mentioned in the article is not a respondent in the City’s eviction application at Salt River Market.]
The City of Cape Town is continuing with plans to evict historic Salt River Market traders.
The City recently filed an urgent court application to evict the last remaining tenants who have refused to leave.
This came after the City told the traders that the site was earmarked for social housing.
The once-popular market, which for decades, was the place for mense to not only to sell their goods but also to share cultural experiences with visitors.
It now only has about four stalls left.
Activist lawyer Igshaan Higgins says the court-ordered eviction could have been avoided if the City had followed through on its commitment to explore relocating the traders to a suitable location.
He explains: “Unfortunately, the City opted for an urgent High Court application against financially-disadvantaged traders who are unable to adequately defend themselves.
“These traders now face the burden of covering the City's legal costs, regardless of their decision to contest the matter.
“Many of these individuals have operated businesses at the Salt River Market for over half a century, with their staff now facing unemployment.
“It is my hope that the city will keep its expensive and overzealous lawyers at bay while trying to find an amicable solution through negotiation and/or mediation.”
The City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Human Settlements, Carl Pophaim, says the city is releasing inner-city land for affordable housing on an accelerated basis.
Salt River Market is one of various municipal-owned properties in central Cape Town - with a yield of over 3,500 units - that have already been released to social housing developers, including Pine Road, Dillon Lane, and Pickwick in Woodstock, and the now-tenant Maitland Mews development.
Pophain says: “In line with our agenda to build a City of Hope by enabling much more social housing in well-located areas, the Salt River Market development will include 300 social housing units.
“It will also include a public square, alongside a community hall, anchor retail shops, and convenience retail [such as a hairdresser, laundry, etc.] that will create many opportunities for small businesses.
“The development proposal pays special attention to the historical context of this site.”
He said that for this reason, the development is planned to accommodate the remaining four historical fresh produce sellers who are already based at Salt River Market.
Pophaim explains: “The city has held extensive engagements with all the traders on the site, resulting in most of the remaining commercial traders agreeing to relocate on a voluntary basis.”
He says construction was set to start in July 2024.
But adds of the legal battle: “This is, however, being delayed by only four remaining traders who have, since 2019, been earning an income by trading illegally on the site without a lease agreement at Salt River Market and who do not trade in fresh produce or associated goods.”
zolani.sinxo@inl.co.za