COSAS apologises to the SA Informal Traders Forum

The Congress of South African Students (COSAS) has formally apologised to the South African Informal Traders Forum and the South African public, in response to the events that took place during their march on 30 July 2014. COSAS marched to the Gauteng Department of Education to handover a memorandum with various demands relating to “challenges in the pre-tertiary education”. Amongst their demands, COSAS called for:

• An end to corporal punishment
• A review of SASA
• An end to the sexual harassment of girl learners
• Supply of sanitary towels for girls at schools
• Safety and security in schools etc.
• In a meeting convened this morning by the Gauteng MEC for Education, Panyaza Lesufi, the leadership of COSAS led by President Collen Malatji and the Provincial Chairperson Nkhobo Khomongoe, apologised unreservedly for the manner in which some learners who participated in the march behaved, particularly towards hawkers.

The apology was welcomed by the chairperson of the South African Informal Traders Forum and their General Secretary, Brian Phaaloh.

All parties agreed that in all future marches of Cosas, a committee will be established to consult with the South African Informal Traders Forum, to agree on measures that will not have any negative impact on the businesses of hawkers.

MEC Lesufi said the meeting was important to ensure that the interests of the South African Informal Traders Association are protected when there are demonstrations, “The Gauteng Provincial Government has prioritised the township economy and the South African Informal Traders Forum forms an important part of this economy. We should therefore ensure that when there are demonstrations, their businesses are protected.”  MEC Lesufi further stated that though the department remains sympathetic to some of the issue raised by Cosas, the department strongly condemns the behaviour of some of the learners during the march.