Pedestrians in White River are being forced into oncoming traffic as obstructive sidewalk displays leave no room on public pavements.

Theo Kleynhans Street has been identified as one of the hotspots, while parts of Chief Mgiyeni Drive are also reportedly being obstructed by businesses displaying their products on the walkways.

Residents and businesses say the situation is making it difficult for pedestrians to move freely through the CBD, forcing some to walk in the road and raising safety concerns.

The matter has reportedly been raised with the City of Mbombela (CoM) several times, with calls for the municipality to enforce its by-laws and restore order.

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Relocation proposal submitted

White River ward councillor Rowan Torr, together with the White River Ratepayers Association (WRRA), has engaged the municipality and traders about the use of pavements for trading.

“This matter has been raised many times by the businesses in Theo Kleynhans Street,” said Torr. “A written proposal to rectify all the informal trading issues was made to all the municipal department heads, including the speaker and general manager of city planning.”

According to Torr, the proposal included using municipally owned vacant land at Plot 71, White River Farm JU64, to establish a designated informal trading market with ablution facilities and running water.

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Lack of by-law enforcement

WRRA chairperson Johan Heymans said the situation was becoming increasingly problematic for businesses and pedestrians.

“Our walkways are overflowing with informal traders who block the entrances to rate-paying businesses,” said Heymans. “There is no by-law enforcement from the CoM in White River. Now businesses are moving their own businesses onto the sidewalks, forcing pedestrians to walk in traffic to pass. This situation is very unsafe.”

He said the association is particularly concerned about informal traders preparing and selling food without what he described as ‘adequate health inspections and access to running water’.

“By-laws must be enforced, and follow-up visits must be arranged, as they all just resume business as usual the very next day,” he said.

Heymans added that informal traders are issued permits with allocated trading sites and said ratepayers wanted the municipality to provide a list of approved traders and designated sites.

Some businesses have also questioned why stronger action has not been taken despite repeated complaints.

“We have tried to engage the CoM to instil order in the area, but there was no action,” said one business owner. “We asked Torr, as our councillor, to ask the leadership of the municipality to intervene, but nothing was done.”

Traders plead for livelihood

Speaking to Lowvelder, several informal traders said they had limited alternatives and depended on busy areas to make a living.

“We have nowhere to go or any other source of income,” said one. “We depend on selling our products on the street and have many customers who support us.”

“We clean walkways all the time throughout the city, including White River,” said CoM spokesperson Joseph Ngala. “We will still schedule a clean-up for that area. Not long ago, we were in Ngodini, in KaBokweni.”