Full story: Council demolishes hawker stalls
The town was alive with "red-ant" action on Tuesday as contractors broke down hawker stalls and removing the material with trucks.
BURGERSFORT – The town was alive with “red-ant” action on Tuesday as contractors broke down hawker stalls and removing the material with trucks.
Greater Tubatse Municipality (GTM) has initiated a project whereby hawkers would in future have to abide by the rules. GTM engaged in several meetings with the Tubatse Hawkers Association in the past at which they issued them a court order allowing hawker stalls to be removed.
Hawkers also received notice to remove them before the end of April. Most of them ignored it.
The first phase of the project, which is currently taking place, is to clear Eddie Sedibe Street from Maphutha Ditshaba to Toyota.
According to Thabiso Mokoena, spokesman for GTM, contractors have already been appointed to build proper stalls on designated areas at which hawkers with permits can them for the small fee of R120 per year.
The next phase will see hawkers being cleared from Toyota to the clinic.
“The hawkers with permits will have preference for thenew stalls that will be built. The municipality has already received 980 applications for permits. Of those, 244 have been granted. Altogether 400 stalls will be built in the first phase,” said Mr Mokoena.
He says the aim is to regulate the people who are trading in town. The cookers, barbers and fruit-and-veggie stores will also be decided.
GTM feels that the project will enhance the Platinum City in several ways. “The town will be cleaner and look much better. Investors will also feel more welcome. We will be able to exercise better control and conditions and it will be healthier for the hawkers and their clients,” said Mokoena.
It is not certain yet if the hawkers will have to pay a monthly tariff in order for GTM to maintain the new facilities.
Armed security and police were also patrolling the areas to prevent any violence. Hawkers across town could be seen taking their own stalls apart before the contractors could demolish them. Some of the hawkers were heard saying they would erect their stalls again after the “red ants” had disappeared.
