Contesting displacement and the struggle for survival: The case of subsistence fisher folk in Durban,South Africa

Abstract

In keeping with the ‘neoliberal assault’, public spaces in many cities of the global North and increasingly in the South have been appropriated and privatized for the benefit of the consumption needs of the urban elite, while simultaneously excluding and expelling the poor, and depriving them of their livelihoods. This paper analyses the displacement and struggles of subsistence fisher folk during upgrading of the port entrance, and the regeneration of Durban's beachfront in preparation for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, and their exclusion from what was once public space which they had used for decades. Coastal zones provide opportunities for recreation and subsistence fishing, and Durban was no exception. As preparations for FIFA 2010 advanced, traditional public fishing zones along Durban's beachfront were declared private property, and subsistence fisher folk were denied access in order to make the area attractive for international tourists, with serious implications for their livelihoods. The reaction of the fisher folk to the various restrictions included protest marches; vigils at the prohibited sites; defying the authorities; as well as appeals to the Transnet National Port Authority, Durban Municipality and provincial and central governments to resolve the impasse. As a result of these various forms of public activism, and engagement with the authorities, the fisher folk were able to reclaim some of their lost space.