Bovine Head Cooks Part 1: History and Memory

Rebecca Plumbley Bovine head meat served with steamed bread is a popular meal in Warwick. Cooking involves the cleaving of meat off the skull bones which takes about 30 minutes. The meat is then boiled in a pot for an hour. In Warwick Junction the main consumers of bovine head meat are the porters and … Read more

A Tribute to John Makwicana

Claire Singer and Tasmi Quazi Influential street trader John Makwicana passed away from a lingering illness on March 7, 2018, at the age of 71. John was an inspiring figure amongst Durban’s inner-city community of informal workers, where he worked as an informal trader for 21 years. He served as the chairperson of Traders Against … Read more

Umzanyana: a case study for technological innovation among informal workers

The challenge: informal worker mothers   Roanne Moodley 74% of informal workers (or traders) in Sub-Saharan Africa are women (WIEGO). Pregnant women are among the most vulnerable of these, facing socio-economic and physical obstacles to their maternal health throughout their pregnancies. After giving birth, they often have to choose between earning an income to financially … Read more

Putting occupational health and safety first for informal workers: A profile of MaDlamini

Annalise Mathers & Tasmi Quazi MaDlamini, also known as Zodwa Khumalo, is a figurehead and matriarch in Warwick Junction. At 71 years old, she is one of the most well-known and respected traditional healers, or izinyanga, in the Traditional Medicine or Muthi Market, where over 700 healers and their associates prepare traditional medicine for those … Read more

A Study on Street Furniture in Warwick Junction: The Trestle Table

Phumelele Mkhize & Tasmi Quazi The responsibility of designing and producing useful urban infrastructure in the city is assigned to professionals and governing authorities. What would it mean to let the users be shapers of their own spaces and infrastructure? During his internship with Asiye eTafuleni, Mongezi Ncube, investigated the self-built tables of traders (also … Read more

Kanyenathi: Presenting the Audit Findings

Tasmi Quazi On December 2015, Asiye eTafuleni (AeT) presented the findings of the participatory Infrastructure Audit conducted by a research team of largely trained informal workers (also referred to as traders), assisted by researchers and AeT staff earlier in the year. 23 informal worker representatives from 3 significant informal economy districts selected for the Kanyenathi … Read more

Mealie Cooks Facility Clean-Up Campaign

Tasmi Quazi On 12 August 2015, with the help of Asiye Etafuleni (AeT), Mealie Cook representatives and eThekwini Municipality’s Durban Solid Waste (DSW) Educational & Waste Minimisation Department, three 1st year Durban Institute of Technology (DUT) students from Public Relations Management implemented a community event which was a clean-up campaign at the Mealie Cooks facility, as … Read more

Kanyenathi: Organisational Reflections on the Participatory Infrastructure Audit

Tasmi Quazi Kanyenathi, the Comic-Relief funded project of three years to be implemented across three informal economy districts in Durban, kicked off in October 2014 with a series of community meetings. From January till July 2015, a major project activity – which was the training for and implementation of the infrastructure audit – was completed. … Read more

Street Law Seminars: Series 4

Mkhululi Nonjola & Tasmi Quazi Asiye eTafuleni hosted the 4th Street Law Seminar on 13 September 2011 at SEDA eThekwini, Durban. The theme of the Seminar was on Consumer Protection. There were 28 informal traders in attendance from different sectors and they participated actively with numerous questions. Mr Gugu Ngwenya from the KZN Department of … Read more