They have been there for the past ninety nine years. Stalls passed down from father to son/daughter. Durban's early morning market is something of an institution. The city fathers have other plans. Lets smash it down and build a shopping mall with national chain stores inside. We'll remove these people and plonk them in a disused shed nearby. None of them will be able to afford the new rents and hopefully they'll just go home and leave us alone. Meanwhile back at the ranch the aging grannies and Aunties hitched up their saris and marched on the city managers office down at the town hall. Lucky for him he had left the country. They sang chanted and perspired in the midday sun. Eventually one of the appointed suits emerged and accepted their memorandum. Promises were made to give them a week or twos grace before the bulldozers moved in. In the meantime international organisations have stepped in and the fight continues. Just another day in our new and fragile democracy
Update Nov 2009 After a "Rent a Crowd" using massive advertising attracted about 100 people who were for the demolition of the market the Early Morning Market traders turned out in mass force on 18 Nov in a further march to City Hall demanding the market be retained)
1 comment:
New is not always better. It would be so much nicer, if they just cleaned up the old, to make it look new. That way we could preserve our past, and make it affordable for the present.
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