Recently vendors around the Central Business District (CBD) were loaded into police vans with their items and spent the day in holding cells. Upon their release they were puzzled as to why they were forcefully removed from their trading areas and in search of answers, they approached Umtshezi Municipality.

On Wednesday, June 15 a meeting with officials from the municipality and the vendors was held at the town hall. The meeting began with a poor turnout of vendors. A handful of the many informal traders within the town, gathered at the hall and raised their concerns about being moved to the taxi rank (Public Transport Facility).

Amongst their concerns were the health concerns of cutting hair near someone selling food and the illegal activities, which unfold at the rank such as drug dealing. The vendor who raised the concern said: “When the police receive a tip off and they get to the rank, everyone points fingers at the foreign nationals.”

As a result, they don’t feel safe. These concerns were noted by municipal officials.

“We don’t want the matter at hand to escalate; we are just enforcing By-Laws. Now that the transport facility is complete, vendors have to move back to the facility,” said Mayor Bongani Dlamini. The Mayor was disappointed that the Informal Traders Association was not present at the meeting.

He also touched on the historic disadvantages, which he said creates such issues. In closing he explained the contribution formal traders make towards the economy as compared to street vendors. The vendors were urged to form a committee and nominate people who will represent them. Councillor Edith Lite pointed out that permits were supplied to trade within the CBD, which have not expired and now with the opening of the Public Transport Facility, vendors were requested to relocate.

Speaker Cesar Nunes encouraged vendors to keep the town clean and requested that more bins be both visible and used.
He spoke about the health aspect, policing and By-Laws. The vendors echoed their disappointment saying that they were unaware of the meeting and instead heard about it from other vendors once it had already commenced.

Another meeting will take place soon, and all informal traders are expected to attend. For the time being, the vendors will continue to trade within the CBD, until a suitable recommendation is drawn up.