Hawkers return to R71 without permission
It seems as if the tug of war between the Greater Tzaneen Municipality (GTM) and the hawkers on the R71 road is far from over.
In the past few years the municipality has removed the hawkers along the road on a regular basis, but to no avail, as they only return the following day and continue trading.
The GTM traffic department demolished illegal hawker stands on the R71 on Wednesday evening, 24 March.
The next day the traders arrived at their stalls only to find all of their stands burnt to ashes by the municipality.
However that did not deter the sellers, they erected new stands within hours and continued trading as normal.
Last year the Herald reported on a hawker, Justice Ramonaga, who said they will never leave as it the perfect spot for their businesses.
“My customers come from various places, including Phalaborwa and even other parts of the country. How will my customers find me if I move?.
“If they want us to move, they must provide us with a suitable place where we can trade.
“We are not stealing from anyone, we are putting food on the table,” he said.
Also read: Hawkers refuse to move
One of the sellers who wishes to remain anonymous, told Herald on Tuesday that a group of the traders went to GTM’s offices to complain about the destruction of their stands last week.
According to him GTM said they can return provided they move their stands away from the road as it is dangerous for motorists; and that the stands are operated by one owner per stand.
He acknowledged that their stalls are dangerously close to the road.
GTM spokesman, Neville Ndlala, denied that there is such an agreement.
“The area they are trading in, is a ‘no hawking area’, there is even a sign indicating that there cannot be any trading. Claiming that they are allowed to return is untrue,” he said.
Also read: Farmers run at a loss as avocado theft surges
Last year, Sanral’s spokesperson, Madoda Mthembu, the Northern Region’s Operations and Maintenance manager, told Herald that the traders are encouraged to operate from designated areas outside of the road reserve.
He told Herald that Sanral will engage with the municipality to find interim compliance solutions through the municipal bylaws.
