Metro extends informal trader permission application deadline
Due to the unexpected high number of informal traders who have applied for permission to trade and the Easter holidays that disturbed the processing of the applications, the City of Tshwane has decided to extend the application period.
The Tshwane metro on Tuesday extended the deadline for informal traders to apply for permission to trade during the lockdown by a few days.
“Due to the unexpected high number of informal traders who have applied for permission to trade and the Easter holidays that disturbed the processing of the applications, the City of Tshwane has decided to extend the application period for a further three days to process the outstanding and expedite new applications,” metro spokesperson Selby Bokaba said, adding they had thus far issued 5500 permits.
The initial deadline was Thursday, 9 April.
“We have decided to reopen the application period from Wednesday 15 April to Friday 17 April 2020 and relocate the entire process from the regions to a centralised point in the CBD,” he said.
Bokaba said the new venue was the Ou Nederlandsche Bank Building at Bitts Centre on the corner of Parliament and WF Nkomo streets on Church Square from 09:00 to 15:00.
READ MORE: Bogus trader permits to be investigated
“The regulations for the informal traders to apply for special permission to trade are in line with the amended regulations announced by the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, on Tursday, 2 April 2020,” he explained.
The revised regulations called on grocery stores and wholesale produce markets including spaza shops and informal food traders to obtain written permission from the municipality to operate. However, informal street traders were not included.
“The regulations are aimed at preventing and curbing the spread of the coronavirus during the lockdown declared by president Cyril Ramaphosa a few weeks ago,” Bokaba said.
The informal traders granted permission were expected to comply with the national regulations and only sell essential products while observing physical distancing of two metres from customers.
“Submission of the application form does not automatically guarantee granting permission but it affords the municipality the opportunity to critically assess the applications and ensure they meet the criteria for basic foodstuffs as set by the national government,” Bokaba said, adding the informal traders were reminded to practice proper hygiene such as washing their hands with soap for at least 20 seconds and using sanitisers with an alcohol content of 60% or more.
READ MORE: National lockdown extended by two weeks
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