Joburg unable to deal with street hustlers
Dancers can make as much as R2 500 a day
The City of Johannesburg is struggling to enforce by-laws that will eliminate dancers‚ jugglers and window washers from street intersections.
The hustlers are increasingly becoming a nuisance to motorists across the city but the council has few options to deal with them.
Sowetan’s sister publication, The Times, spoke to some of the dancers who said they make as much as R2 500 a day.
But this fortune is made in contravention of by-laws that prohibit loitering.
Each time they are arrested, police release them as their crime is not deemed serious.
The Johannesburg Metro Police Department‚ which launched Operation Ke Molao (It Is Law) in 2015 in a bid to clear street intersections‚ says its efforts have been fruitless.
“The biggest problem we have is that the instructions from national police are that there is nothing they can do; the crime is not classified as a serious crime‚” said spokeswoman Edna Mamonyane.
It was difficult to even issue them with fines because most do not have addresses or any identification documents.
One motorist‚ Thomas Mangatane‚ hoped to see all street dealers removed from intersections.
“They are troublesome. Sometimes you are coming from a car wash and your car is clean and they just throw water at your windscreen and mess it up … Even the dancers cause problems. There is a risk they can be hit by a car‚” said Mangatane.
This was the case for Patrick Mngomezulu‚ 31‚ who juggles oranges on the corner of Barry Hertzog and Empire Road.
“I got hit by a car while doing my tricks in Fourways. I have scars on my head for this. But there are no jobs and this is the only way I can make a living‚” Mngomezulu said.
He said on a good day he makes R180, but admits times are tough.
Mandla Mahlangu‚ 32‚ is a window washer on Empire and Victoria Road. He lost his job four years ago. He first tried collecting scrap but later turned to windscreen washing.
On a good day he makes about R90 but when The Times joined him on the job‚ he had not made even R10 by the afternoon.
Another growing feature is pantsula dancers at intersections.
The Times spoke to a group on Bolton and Cradock Avenue in Rosebank.
The four – Mlungisi Ncube‚ Lindelani Rampama‚ Sphiwe Mgedleni and Thabang Mokolokoxo – are all high school pupils from Alexandra, northern Johannesburg.
They chose their spot next to a mall strategically. They make sure that they are on the streets on pay days.
On average‚ they make R2 500 a day. This is R5 000 a month if they work twice a week.
According to Payscale‚ this is far higher than the average salary of a cashier‚ which is about R3 505 a month.