Constitution
The Alliance shall be open to the following types of membership-based organisations of informal traders operating in South
Africa, provided that they represent not less than 100 informal trader members:
- Provincial alliances of not less than 10 membership-based organisations of informal traders including unions, co-operatives, and associations;
- City-based alliances of not less than 10 membership-based organisations of informal traders including unions, co-operatives, and associations;
- National organisations organising informal traders among their members.
AIMS & OBJECTIVES
The aims and objects of the Alliance shall be:
- To unite street vendors throughout South Africa and to enable them to speak with one voice
- GENDER COMPOSITION: because women make up the majority of street vendors (approximately 60%) the alliance will have a quota of 60% women's leadership. Women's empowerment programmes will be undertaken to make this work effectively.
- OCCUPATIONAL PROFILE: the leaders should be informal traders, street vendors or hawkers themselves, or organizers employed by informal traders' organisations to organize informal traders. However, a majority (at least 80%) should be informal traders, street vendors or hawkers.
- CRIMINAL RECORDS: people with criminal records for major criminal offences (not political crimes) such as murder, rape, robbery, fraud (sentenced after 1990) will not be eligible to stand for election to leadership positions.
- ORGANISATIONAL BALANCE: Leaders should come from different organisations making up the alliance.
- REGIONAL BALANCE: There should also be a way of ensuring regional balance in affiliated organisations and in the national leadership structures.
- FOREIGN TRADERS: The provisions of the country's constitution and national policies will be observed, and foreign traders who are working regularly in the country will also be part of the alliance.
- INCLUSIVITY: The alliance will be inclusive and open to all organisations of informal traders, including those which may not initially have been part of the process, so as not to become yet another “closed shop”.
