Traders’ war with metro continues
Informal traders in the city centre are still engaged in a war with the metro, saying they are sticking to their guns and will make the city centre ungovernable if their demands are not met. This comes on the back of the shooting of an informal trader, Forster Rivambo, by the metro police.
Despite informal traders’ threats to make the city centre ungovernable, the Tshwane metro is still failing to meet their demands. The Tshwane Barekisi Forum, however, decided not to continue with their protest and cause chaos in the city last Friday. This came after charges of public violence that were levelled against some of their members were withdrawn by the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court, the forum’s chairperson, Shoes Maloka, said.
The four protesters who were arrested spent approximately a week and a half in custody before they were released. The informal traders’ attorney, Nomzamo Zondo of the Socio-economic Rights Institute of South Africa, confirmed that the cases of public violence had been withdrawn against her clients.
She added that the four men who were arrested would open a case of assault against the Tshwane metro police. Maloka said they could not wait with their arms folded and watch while the metro police continued to harass the informal traders, confiscate their stock and even kill their members.
It is alleged that a metro police officer shot and killed Foster Rivombo, a trader, while he was trying to protect his stock from being confiscated two weeks ago in the city centre. “We are going to discuss this issue of continuous harassment before taking a decision as to when we are going to start with making the city ungovernable,” Maloka said.
He indicated that they were willing to negotiate with the metro to address the problem, as causing chaos in the city would be their last option. Early last week the metro made it clear that it would not tolerate any public violence and that anyone who threatened to cause chaos and disruption would be arrested. Blessing Manale said they regretted the situation involving the shooting of the informal trader, but, however, insisted that the metro police had confiscated his goods because he was trading without a licence.
