INFORMAL traders from the Pinetown CBD met with the local SAPS, Metro Police and the eThekwini Municipality’s Business Support Unit on Friday, April 17, to air their concerns over the issuing of trading permits.

This followed a demonstration held by the informal traders last week outside the Pinetown Police Station and a subsequent march through the CBD.

Speaking on behalf of the informal traders, Sifiso Mhlophe said issues which arose at the meeting included longstanding applications for informal traders’ permits made by South Africans without approvals being granted, whilst permits appear to be easily obtained by foreign nationals.

Mhlophe said other issues were allegations of bribery for the permits, in particular, by foreign nationals; the leasing of these permits, and their misuse; and corruption.

“We do not want any violence and we are not xenophobic, we just want South Africans to be prioritised,” said Mhlophe.

He added that the informal traders are urging the municipality’s Business Support Unit to revisit its decision to grant informal traders’ permits to documented foreign nationals because that has crowded the market.

Speaking at the meeting, Pinetown SAPS acting station commander, Colonel Ronnie Heeralall, gave the assurance that where it is found that fraudulent informal traders’ permits have been used, arrests will be made, with criminal charges instituted.

“We do not want lawlessness in Pinetown,” asserted Heeralall, who clarified that allegations of corruption and bribery for the issuing of these permits will be dealt with by the municipality’s Business Support Unit.

Heeralall advised the informal traders at the meeting to liaise with the municipality’s Business Support Unit to ensure there is an alignment and collectivism between them and the existing elected committee representing all informal traders in the area.

Colonel Siyabonga Dlamini, from the Metro Police in the Pinetown region, said Metro officers are tasked with enforcing by-laws, which includes verifying informal traders’ permits and that these are in the hands of rightful owners operating at the demarcated area. The issuing of the permits, he added, is the responsibility of the municipality’s Business Support Unit.

Dlamini emphasised that South African informal traders in possession of permits should not have foreign nationals working as assistants at their stalls.

He explained that the confiscation of goods is in line with the Metro Police’s by-law enforcement mandate where no permit is found and that items such as tables and chairs are destroyed once confiscated, whilst goods for sale, such as food, are impounded.

Also read: Pinetown informal traders unhappy with issuing of permits

“Repeating offenders do not get their stuff back,” Dlamini said, and explained that this applies to informal traders who have been found without permits more than two times.

The photocopying of informal traders’ permits, the alleged selling of drugs at stalls and other illegal acts “is criminal behavior that must be reported at the police station”, urged Dlamini.

“Where there is evidence of corruption and favouritism, report that to the Business Support Unit or the municipality’s City Integrity and Investigations Unit,” advised Dlamini.

He urged the Business Support Unit to fast-track the fixing or procurement of a machine for printing the informal trader’s permit cards because such inefficiencies create challenges with enforcement.

Nomonde Mhlongo from the Business Support Unit said because of “problems” with the printing machine, resulting on relying on offices from other regions, there were delays in the issuing of permit cards, with papers temporarily given to informal traders.

An informal trader can only be in possession of one permit, said Mhlongo, who added that vendors who walk about the CBD, some pushing trolleys, are not permitted to possess a permit.

Mhlongo said the unit advertises available demarcated spaces for informal traders on a quarterly basis and that interested parties should submit applications every time an advert is put out.

She said an estimated 30 informal traders’ permits were issued to foreign nationals in the Pinetown area.

Informal traders found guilty of leasing their permits have these terminated, said Mhlongo, and the site which had been allocated to them is made vacant and then advertised.

Pinetown SAPS Vispol commander, Lieutenant Colonel Mano Govender, said law enforcement is doing all it can to arrest undocumented foreign nationals, with the onus on the national prosecuting authority to ensure the entire legal process is followed in court.

“If you find SAPS members who are in cahoots with foreign nationals or are taking bribes, you have every right to report them. We will not tolerate corruption,” Govender told the informal traders.

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