To : City of Tshwane

Cc : Office of the Premier and
Office of the President

MEMORANDUM OF DEMANDS

INTRODUCTION

The Tshwane Barekisi Forum (TBF) is an informal traders organization which was formed to provide leadership and business linkage to informal traders with both the public and private sector. Recently we have registered more than 1000 members. Our vision and mission is to work with other institutions with the aim of providing solutions to the challenges faced by the informal traders. We are a disciplined organisation which is opposed to any form of stratification, anarchy and violence. We lead members who are licensed to trade and are law abiding in all spheres of government. We are also an affiliate of the South African Informal traders Forum.

BACKGROUND

As Tshwane Barekisi Forum we are not satisfied with the manner in which The City of Tshwane is treating us. We are being harassed, robbed and killed by the Metro Police. Everyday they take our stock/food forcefully. On Good Friday and Christmas time they take stock/clothes also forcefully and in most cases the police do not wear name-tags when they come to us. In January 2014 they killed one of our members Mr. Rivombo Foster. We opened a case and now the case is with IPID but the killer is at work enjoying himself. We have marched several times to The City of Tshwane and The Department of Justice and Constitutional Development but we never get any response.

The City of Tshwane is not working with the democratically elected informal traders’ forums; instead CoT has decided to work with some individuals who are also benefiting through projects and paid stipends by the City. Majority of our members were forcefully removed from the street without any notification. We are also aware that MMC for Community Safety Mr. Mashego is running a gang through Metro Police, hence he told us face to face that he is going to organise Metro Police to deal with us and indeed we are now being ill-treated by the Metro Police. Metro Police told us that even if we open cases against them there is nothing that will happen because their Mayor and MMC are in charge. The City of Tshwane Executive Mayor Kgosientso Ramokgopa was given a petition twice in the year 2013 but he has never responded to it to date. The petition was received by his former PA (Georgia) who is now the Executive Mayor’s wife.

We therefore note that:

- Metro Police are thieves and murderous
- City of Tshwane is not prepared to work with democratically elected structures but instead work with ghosts
- Metro Police is used by the MMC Mashego and Jenny Malaan as a gangster unit
- Executive Mayor of the City of Tshwane is a liar

We therefore demand the following:

- Metro Police should stop stealing our stock and Revombo Foster’s killer must face the law.
- Informal traders forums be consulted on issues affecting them
- Metro Police activities must be investigated by an independent body and MMC Mashego together with Jenny Malaan should resign with immediate effect.
- The Executive Mayor (Tsotsi) Kgosientso Ramokgopa must resign with immediate effect.

CONCLUSION

The people of Tshwane have worked hard to liberate themselves from the apartheid regime, but now after 20 years of democracy we are still oppressed by The City of Tshwane under the leadership of Councillor Kgosientso Ramokgopa, Councillor Terrence Mashigo and their racist servant Jenny Malaan. The people of Tshwane need reliable, loyal and trustworthy officials and politicians who will champion the interest of the people.