LIMPOPO – The Greater Giyani Municipality’s new market stalls, which recently sparked public debate over the proposed rental fees, have officially been opened for occupancy following the approval of revised and more affordable rental charges. Instead of the initially proposed daily rental of about R300, tenants will now pay between R1 700 and R1 900 per month.

READ MORE: Giyani traders face proposed R350 daily stall rental fee

Mayor Thandi Zitha said the monthly rental includes both electricity and water, but added that usage limits will be introduced to ensure these services are used responsibly.

No free-for-all on water and power

“To ensure that tenants do not abuse water and electricity at these market stalls, there will be an acceptable usage limit that tenants will have to adhere to and keep their rental costs at the current level,” explained the mayor.

She said the limits are intended to prevent unnecessary waste and protect municipal resources.

“We do not want a situation where people take advantage of the fact that water is included in the rental.

“For example, we do not want water vendors coming here to collect water for free. If tenants know that excessive consumption will be added to their bill, they will do everything possible to prevent such abuse,” she said.

Not about profit, says mayor

Zitha said the municipality had deliberately kept the rental below R2 000 to make the stalls accessible to small business owners while generating enough revenue to maintain the facility.

“The rental is expected to be less than R2 000 per month, and that is mainly for the maintenance of this place. It is not intended to make a profit. We tried to make it as affordable as possible for everyone,” she said.

Prospective tenants will be required to submit applications to the municipality before being allocated a stall.

“There will soon be an advertisement inviting people to apply for the market stalls. That is where interested applicants will have the opportunity to submit their applications,” she added.

Only 20 stalls up for grabs

The facility consists of only 20 market stalls, and the mayor cautioned that demand is likely to exceed the available space.

“People must understand that not everyone who applies will be successful because there are only 20 market stalls,” she said.

Old CBD stalls set for demolition

Zitha further revealed that the municipality plans to demolish the old market stalls in the Giyani CBD and construct new ones at a different location.

“You can see that the current market stalls are completely dilapidated and need to be demolished and rebuilt at another site. We want to provide modern market stalls like these so that our people can operate their businesses in a clean, safe and dignified environment,” she said.