The activities of informal traders operating on a piece of land at the corner of Aitken Road and Van Riebeeck Avenue have again raised concerns among residents and Ward 19 Alderman Bill Rundle.

Rundle said the issue had been ongoing for more than 10 years, dating back to 2011, when residents first brought it to his attention after he was elected ward councillor.

He identified the land as a City Power electrical servitude situated near the boundary between the City of Ekurhuleni and the City of Johannesburg.

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According to Rundle, informal traders have increasingly used the site to sell and store their goods, despite it being an electrical servitude.

“As this is a City Power electrical servitude, I strongly believe that it is the responsibility of City Power to upkeep, maintain, and secure the servitude,” he said.

Rundle claimed that some traders live among the long grass, where they cook and sleep. He added that traders sometimes store their goods against the perimeter wall of Leisure View Retirement Village, which is also reportedly used as an ablution facility.

In 2021, Rundle raised similar concerns on behalf of residents of Leisure View Retirement Village and those living along Aitken Road, who believed the traders’ presence posed a security risk.

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He said the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Police Department (EMPD) had assisted in removing the traders on several occasions, but they repeatedly returned to the site.

Rundle also claimed that luxury SUVs and bakkies frequently deliver goods to vendors operating on the servitude.

He expressed concern that City Power was not adequately addressing the activities taking place on the land.

The City of Ekurhuleni (CoE) previously confirmed that it was aware of the issue and had conducted several operations with the assistance of the EMPD to remove informal traders from the servitude.

CoE spokesperson Zweli Dlamini previously said that although the servitude fell under City Power’s responsibility, traders returned after being removed.

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“Previously, they were all removed and their goods confiscated; however, they return over time,” Dlamini said.

He added that some traders were sleeping among their goods, but no shacks had been erected on the site. Instead, they slept under plastic shelters.

Dlamini confirmed that several clean-up operations had been conducted and goods confiscated.

Rundle said that although he sympathised with vendors trying to make a living, they needed to follow the correct procedures and obtain the necessary permits.

A request for comment was sent to City Power on October 14, with a deadline of October 16 at 15:00.

The power utility was asked whether it was aware of the traders’ activities on the servitude, what steps it was taking to prevent them from operating there, and whether it planned to secure the land to prevent its misuse.

At the time of going to print, no comment had been received.