Street traders given a lifeline

Public anger spurs metro U-turn on removal of informal sellers

APUBLIC backlash has forced Nelson Mandela Bay officials to make a complete U-turn on the removal of informal traders, with the municipality now promising to wait until they are provided with alternative trading space.

This follows stinging criticism on social media and in letters and SMSes to The Herald after the wares of informal traders in 8th Avenue, Walmer, were confiscated on Friday by municipal rangers and metro police when they could not produce trading permits.

The municipality’s change of heart was revealed by economic development political head Andrew Whitfield at a mayoral committee meeting yesterday.

The lifeline thrown to the informal traders will see them being given temporary permits to trade on municipal land.

Whitfield said a coordinating committee had been formed to process the permits and identify areas of trading.

The metro had resolved two weeks ago to clamp down on formal and informal businesses that were trading illegally in the city.

“The office of the city manager has issued an instruction to cease all removals,” Whitfield said yesterday.

“The [departments] of economic development and human settlements have had conversations and there has been better coordination on the issue.

“This does not [alter] the fact that there are bylaws in the city that need to be enforced – however, they need to be enforced with compassion and alternatives need to be made available.”

He said the informal traders policy which was under review would address this.

The policy – which has been workshopped – is expected to be tabled in council in November after public participation.

Whitfield said the coordinating committee would meet tomorrow to discuss how and when the seized goods would be returned to the 8th Avenue informal traders.

Zimbabwean Lucky Kaliati, 32, of North End, whose goods were confiscated at 8th Avenue last week, said the new developments meant there was hope.

“As a collective, this means a lot to us – it means our families can’t go hungry,” he said.

“This is our bread and butter and we are happy that there is light at the end of the tunnel, because this [carving furniture] is our talent and it’s all we can do to feed our families.”

Kaliati said they had been saddened by the way the city had handled their removal.

“At first, we thought it was a xenophobic incident when we noticed that they were only targeting foreigners, but our hope was revived by the support that we have been getting from the community and we are grateful,” he said.

However, by noon yesterday, other 8th Avenue informal traders said they had still not received feedback from the metro on the new developments.

Takawira Chikomba, 34, said it was a relief to hear about the municipality’s promise of assistance.

His goods were taken along with those of the other informal traders operating at 8th Avenue.

“We need to follow up now to reclaim our goods,” he said.

“My main issue is getting my business back up so I can support my family.

“My parents traded there and they taught me the tricks of the trade.”

At the mayoral committee meeting yesterday, mayor Athol Trollip urged Whitfield and economic development executive director Anele Qaba to sort the matter out as soon as possible.

“In light of what has been unfolding with informal trading in the city, we need to have the matter resolved as quickly as possible,” Trollip said.

“I appeal to you and your executive director to make sure the process is finalised as soon as possible so it can be taken to the next council meeting.

“While we are dealing with informal trading with care and making sure that in the absence of proper permits we will have interim per-

My main issue is getting my business back up so I can support my family

mits and trading permits, there are very specific bylaws and we need to be vigilant.

“Let us just understand that this is a policy around informal trading – it does not include people who are trading unlawfully in the city.”

He said ward councillors were inundated with cases of formal businesses that were trading illegally in wards.

He urged the safety and security department to intervene in this regard.

Those trading along 17th Avenue, Walmer, had also been told to get permits or face being removed this week.

Fortune Mazinyani, 24, of Walmer, who operates from 17th Avenue, said he had received a notice to relocate about two months ago.

He sells fruit, dog kennels, fencing, wood and grass.

“I have been trading here since 2009 and this is not the first time we have been threatened to move,” he said.

“But where do we go? We have nowhere else to go.”

Mazinyani said if they were given temporary permits, it would alleviate fears of having their goods confiscated.

Faithful Munyoro, 30, of Walmer, who sells gardening material, said she would not move her little business as it would suffer in a different location.

“We are surviving here,” she said.

“We have families who need to be taken care of and I think that the issuing of permits can be a good thing.”

Another informal trader, who declined to be named, said: “We have been struggling for such a long time to obtain permits and I am happy they want to help us, but I will not be very happy if they move us.”