Burgersfort stalls on fire
“The hawkers with permits will have preference in choosing their new stalls. The municipality has already received 980 applications for permits. Of those, 244 have been granted. A total of 400 stalls will be built in the first phase,” said Mokoena.
BURGERSFORT – The stalls next to the Palace bottle store caught fire last Thursday, July 18. The cause of the blaze is still unknown.
When Steelburger/Lydenburg News arrived at the scene, the firefighters were trying to douse the flames while the street vendors moved their products to safety.
It is alleged that some of the frustrated vendors might have started the fire to vent their anger after being chased from their old market spaces. The local SAPS confirmed that no one was injured.
Apparently the hawkers had to be removed by the municipality to make way for proper stall structures.
Earlier last month, the street vendors were chased from Eddie Sedibe and Marone streets to also make way for renovations.
The 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 during which they issued them with a court order allowing for the removal of hawker stalls. The stalls had to be removed before the end of April. Most of the hawkers however chose to ignore this order.
The first phase of the project, took place in Eddie Sedibe Street from Maphutha Ditshaba to Toyota and the second is currently taking place from Palace Bottle store up to the local clinic.
According to Mr Thabiso Mokoena, spokesman for GTM, contractors have already been appointed to build proper stalls on designated areas where hawkers with permits can do business for the small fee of R120 per year.
“The hawkers with permits will have preference in choosing their new stalls. The municipality has already received 980 applications for permits. Of those, 244 have been granted. A total of 400 stalls will be built in the first phase,” said Mokoena.
He said the aim was to regulate the trading in town. The cookers, barbers and fruit-and-veggie stores will also form part of the transformation.
GTM feels the project will enhance the Platinum City in several ways. “The town will be cleaner and will look much better. Investors will also feel more welcome. We will be able to exercise better control and conditions 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.
Some hawkers were heard saying they would erect their stalls again, while others complained that the municipality did not offer alternative venues from were they could sell their products while the new stalls were being erected.
