MEDIA STATEMENT
BY THE
INKATHA FREEDOM PARTY
Mabuyakhulu's Durban Market Report Victory for IFP and Justice
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Inkatha Freedom Party has applauded the re-opening of negotiations on the Early Morning Market and the Warwick Triangle development. This was one recommendation contained in a report tabled at today's report-back meeting at Inkosi Albert Lutuli International Convention Centre in Durban, by the KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Economic Development, Mr. Mike Mabuyakhulu, the leader of the 2-MEC Task Team that was appointed by Premier Zweli Mkhize to mediate between the traders and the eThekwini Municipality. The IFP said this Task Team's findings vindicated its long-held position that the eThekwini Municipality had not been fair in their handling of the controversy. Speaking after the ICC meeting, the Spokesperson for the IFP in eThekwini, Joshua Mazibuko said: "Today's recommendations are a victory for the IFP and those who stand for justice and fairness in the Early Morning Market controversy. From the outset we expressed our condemnation of the manner the eThekwini Municipality handled this emotive issue of the closure of the Market and the construction of a mall. We are happy that even the 2-MEC Task Team found that indeed the Municipality had not done justice to fair negotiations. We therefore fully endorse the recommendation to re-open negotiations among all stakeholders and the call for openness and transparency in the process. While we also agree with the MEC that negotiations must reach finality at some point, we however wish to caution against stampeding towards half-baked solutions. "In addition, we support other recommendations of the Task Team, such as that: - Interests of all stakeholders must be recognized in this whole process - Economic empowerment that will result from the development must be broad-based so that it benefits the greatest number, not just a few well-connected individuals. - All outstanding issues must be dealt with speedily - All traders must be accommodated, which includes giving them a share in the development itself, and that there must be a process to legalize all so-called illegal traders. - The principle of one-stall, one-permit and one-user must be adhered to. "In particular we are glad that the Task Team called on the law-enforcement agencies to exercise restraint in the execution of their duties. We cannot allow a return to the time of the apartheid police force which disregarded the people's rights to dignity. "Lastly we call on all parties to re-enter negotiations in a spirit of finding one another and a spirit which places the good of the greatest number above selfish individual interests. We will remain vigilant and we also pledge our involvement in the process until it reaches its finality because we want to see justice, service delivery and improvement to the lives of ordinary people."
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