Informal Economy Platform

The Southern Africa Crossboarder Traders Association (SACBTA), Zimbabwe Chamber of Informal Economy Associations (ZCIEA), who also represents informal traders in the SADC Region under Streetnet International, National Crossboarder and Domestic Traders Association (NCBDTA), Habbakuk Trust participated in the SADC People’s Summit on the 15-16 August 2014 at Bulawayo Harare, Zimbabwe

Preamble: Workers in the informal economy include wage workers, own-account workers and cross boarder traders.

Informal workers are busy organising themselves to be formally regulated, orderly members of the society and the economy at large. We are insecure, vulnerable and move from one complicated situation of trade to the other in the region as if we are stinking trouble makers and hooligans.
We are abused of our political, economic, social protection rights and recognition and representation, thus we are mostly trapped in sabotaged poverty.

For all informal workers, we need formalisation offered, its benefits and protection. It must restore the universal rights from which workers in the informal economy have been marginalised by the neo-liberal model of governance over the past 40 years, and reintegrate them into legal and regulatory frameworks.

WE THE INFORMAL TRADERS AND CROSSBOARDER TRADERS IN THE SADC REGION DEMAND;

• TOTAL REMOVAL AND AN END TO COLONIAL, ABUSIVE AND RESTRICTIVE BI- LAWS AND POLICIES ON THE OPERATIONS OF INFORMAL TRADERS IN THE REGION WHICH CRIMINALISE US.
• WE DEMAND TOTAL INVOLVEMENT AND RESPECT OF THE BUSINESS AND TRADE WE DO IN THE REGION BECAUSE WE ARE THE MAINSTREAM ECONOMY.
• WE DEMAND EXTENSION SOCIAL PROTECTION SCHEMES TO INFORMAL ECONOMY FAMILIES IN THE REGION
• WE DEMAND A STOP TO POLITICAL ABUSE AND INTIMIDATION TO THE INFORMAL WORKERS AND TRADERS
• ACCESS TO FINANCE AND MARKET INFORMATION
• FORMALISATION OF INFORMAL WORK
• SIMPLIFIED TRADE REGIME ON SADC BOARDERS
• EASIER AND FAIR VAT PROCEDURES FOR INFORMAL TRADERS
• FREE MOVEMENT OF PEOPLE
• PARTICIPATION IN SADC NATIONAL COMMITTEES
• ACCESS TO A FORMAL SYSTEM OF SOCIAL SECURITY

CONCLUSIVE DEMAND:

All informal workers – whether wage workers, cross boarder traders or self-employed workers – in all sectors across the SADC region must have access to; basic organising and labour rights, voice and bargaining power, legal identity and standing, economic rights and social rights, including social protection. It is imperative that informal workers across all sectors and in the whole region have input into what formalisation, in fair terms, will require for the region.
NOTHING FOR US WITHOUT US!!

Pictured below: The successful street campaign that took place in BULAWAYO ZIMBABWE at the SADC PEOPLES SUMMIT 15-16 August 2014