NEWS of the eviction of stallholders at The Stables Market in 2020 came as a major blow to a Newlands West family who had relied on that trading income for nearly a decade. Life took an unexpected turn and Manju and Elvis Rooplal’s livelihood became uncertain.

“I was first introduced to the market back in the 2000s. Our daughter, then a university student, worked here over the weekends, manning a bean bags stall. I would often come to pick her up. I remember the vibrancy the market had. It was so inviting and friendly. It felt so safe, and it had the most affordable items on sale,” recalled Manju.

She added that this welcoming experience inspired her to get a stall of her own. At the time, she was working part-time while her husband worked full-time for a textile firm. In an unexpected turn, Elvis lost his job when the firm shut down. This meant the loss of one income in the family. Her desire to get a stall grew, and finally she became one of the stallholders on G block.

“When I used to walk around the market, I realised that no one was selling plasticware, and that became my business. The response was impressive and I soon undertook the business full-time. My family relied on this income, it had become the only source. Our daughter’s university fees, household sustenance, and bond repayment, all these expenses were covered by the market’s business.
“We later introduced household detergents to our stall. We manufactured these ourselves, and the business boomed even further. Holidays were the best, tourism was enhanced, and the place was buzzing with unique Christmas gifts and eateries.

“When the news of the eviction hit us, we knew that life was approaching a cliff. The saddest thing was that when this happened, it coincided with the possibility of Covid lockdown.

“The volume of patrons and customers started to dwindle. I was sad on their behalf, but importantly, the businesses were bleeding. The lockdown was officialised, and the hurtful part was that as vendors, we had nowhere to come back to once the lockdown was over. The future became bleaker by the minute. As the world was battling to survive during lockdown, some of us lost their houses, and some incurred debts.”

Also read: The Stables Market: Evicted traders pray for return

When the lockdown ended the future of The Stables Markets was at the centre of the battle between vendors and the City. “We were not prepared to move, and we proposed that we keep the stalls and continue trading while the municipality gave us trading permits. It was a win-win proposal. But that never saw the light of day, and the eviction was inevitable. Employees and business owners fell into deep despair.”

The Rooplals confess that they would like nothing more than a return to The Stables. “Many livelihoods would be restored. Business is guaranteed to thrive again because the vendors have created a solid, reliable client base.
“As we stand on this very site that once created a glowing livelihood and employment for many, sadly, lives lie in ruins. So our question to the City is ‘why?’. Ultimately our objective is to emphasise to the City to stop exploitation of The Stables. We ask that the proposed redevelopment of the precinct incorporates our beloved market for economic development, mainly to put bread on our tables,” the Rooplals pleaded.

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