Community wants Wierda Park centre reformed to former glory
“During our in loco inspection, we also visited the two sub-stations on the premises. We found that one of them needs to be refurbished, as it had been used a an urinal and the acidic elements damaged the door.”
The metro reacted to various complaints about the state the Wierda Park centre was in, by negotiating a joint venture between relevant departments.
Marika Kruger-Muller, DA councillor of ward 70, said she had a follow-up meeting with the various metro departments in January this year to workshop a joint venture between the TMPD, Local Economic Development (LED) officials and the health department to address the issues in respect of informal traders.
This followed after all role players met at the centre at the end of last year to discuss the complaints.
“The next meeting will be with owners of the buildings and business owners will also be engaged to assist with viable solutions,” Kruger-Muller said.
“Upgrading the building is necessary in respect of paint and repairing broken windows.”
Complaints that were received, Kruger-Muller said, was that taxis park in the centre’s parking area and front of shops, and then customers don’t find parking when they want to go shopping.
“During our in loco inspection, we also visited the two sub-stations on the premises. We found that one of them needs to be refurbished, as it had been used as a urinal and the acidic elements damaged the door.
“Another complaint was received about a shop owner who displayed tyres on the premises, at the corner of Chris Hougaard and Springbok streets, as well as informal traders following suit.”
She said a lady that was trading informally set up her gazebo and stacked her piles of wood there as well.
“She cooks food on open fires, so the smoke blows into everybody’s face and everyone smells of smoke,” Kruger-Muller said shoppers complained, “and was subsequently addressed in this respect by the departmental officials”.
Kruger-Muller said depending on available funds, a concept for creating a proper taxi rank was discussed with traders and the LED officials, and that negotiations with all three relevant taxi associations will be handled by the department of roads and transport.
“Or at least designated parking that the taxi associations can take ownership of,” she added.
“There are municipal regulations that prescribe how problems with informal traders need to be dealt with, that we have to adhere to.”
She said the process informal traders need to follow to sell food, is to obtain a food licence from the health department, and a compliance certificate from the fire department.
“They have to state whether they cook on an open fire or work with gas, and then there are standards and regulations that must be complied to.
“The location of a food stall will then be determined by the LED department and TMPD checks that traders comply with the terms of a licence.”
Kruger-Muller said in this respect traders are allowed at the centre to trade in the blocks marked with yellow paint on the premises, of course only if those certificates are in place.
She said complaints were also received about public drinking and accompanying safety issues, and SAPS and CPF units will be approached for assistance in this respect.
“The abandoned little building used for security guards might be rented to someone who can render that service once again as well,” she concluded.
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