Activist hopes CT mayor will halt eviction of informal traders from Salt River Market

CAPE TOWN - An activist is hoping Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis will intervene to halt the eviction of a small group of informal traders from the Salt River Market.
 
The traders are being threatened with eviction from the historic site, as the city moves ahead with plans to construct a new public square on the property.
 
Attorneys for the traders said that a recent request for a round table discussion to negotiate for alternative trading space had been turned down.
 
Activist and attorney, Igshaan Higgins, acting on behalf of the traders, said that he had written to both the mayor and the Western Cape premier to intervene.
 
"Maybe we must escalate the request, and maybe the officials dealing with this matter are not understanding the importance of this particular matter."
 
Higgins said that homelessness was of national concern and was not just a legal issue, but also a social one.
 
Mayco member for human settlements, Carl Pophaim, said that the city had tried to negotiate with the traders.
 
"Many attempts have been made to engage outside of court without any success. These individuals have been earning incomes and these companies have been trading illegally on site without their lease agreement at the Salt River Market."
 
Pophaim said that the new development would include 300 social housing units.