Concern mounts over illegal trading of ‘art’ on Delmas Road and Solomon Mahlangu
The metro confirmed that the street traders on the Delmas and Solomon Mahlangu Streets do not qualify for a permit since they are trading in an area prohibited for street trading.
Concern is mounting about the art being sold at the busy Delmas Road and Solomon Mahlangu Drive intersection in the east of Pretoria.
Residents claim that large statues are being sold without the required business permits, tax contributions, or import duties paid to the fiscus.
Residents say the issue has been reported countless times to the municipality with no consistent enforcement.
The large statues are placed on sidewalks and road reserves, raising safety and compliance concerns.
“No tax is paid, no import duty is paid. They are too big to be removed, so the traders just keep going because no one is willing to deal with them, not Tshwane nor SARS customs,” said resident Shawn Fouché.
Fouché said traders operate openly on the roadside selling large decorative sculptures without any form of accountability.
Metro spokesperson Lindela Mashigo confirmed that Tshwane is aware of the illegal street trading on the corner of Delmas and Solomon Mahlangu Streets.
Mashigo said trading is prohibited at that intersection and acknowledged that the area has become a hotspot for illegal street trading.
“The intersection is a hotspot, and plans are in place to remove illegal traders through the City’s Integrated By-Law Enforcement Centre.”
Mashigo said the Tshwane Metro Police Department has already taken action, including confiscating goods and issuing fines.
He said street trading in Tshwane is governed by by-laws, and street traders are expected to apply for a permit only issued for a declared trading area.
“The said street traders on the Delmas and Solomon Mahlangu Streets do not qualify for a permit, since they are trading in an area prohibited for street trading,” Mashigo explained.
He said the city through the centre conducted regular by-law compliance enforcement campaigns to check the validity of all permits and issue non-compliance notices to non-complying traders and confiscate goods.
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