POLOKWANE – The construction of the African market in Market Street was completed and handed over to the municipality in the 2010/11 financial year, but to date nothing further has been done.
The building has not been occupied by the intended beneficiaries.
According to Joseph Mashita, the interim president of the recently launched Limpopo Chamber of Commerce, the municipality had failed to comply with its own building rules and by-laws in this regard.
“The chamber is shocked to realise that hawkers and entrepreneurs have been denied an opportunity to trade in formal premises thanks to an error by the municipality.
“We have discovered that the real reasons for the African market not being in operation are that provision for a parking area has not been made and that there are some rezoning problems which prevented the municipality from issuing an occupation certificate.
“A closer look at this problem tells us that the African market has been built illegally because in accordance with their own by-laws, things such as rezoning and allocation of the parking area should be sorted out and approved prior to the commencement of the construction work,” Mashita said.
The African market has been planned since 2004 and is meant to offer formalised business and trading premises for hawkers and other entrepreneurs, as well as being used as a flea market to attract tourists and visitors so that they can support local businesses.
The idea of establishing the African market was a strategic move by the municipality to create a conducive environment for hawkers and entrepreneurs to start, manage, grow and sustain their businesses and to keep hawkers off the sidewalks.
Mashita said these revelations came to light recently when the municipality’s building inspectors fined some chamber members in Dahl Street for improving their security at their business premises without “permission” from the municipality. “Where is the justice and consistency if the municipality does not abide by its own rules,” Mashita questioned.
He said the chamber urged mayor Thembi Nkadimeng to resolve the matter of the African market as a matter of urgency.
Municipal spokesperson, Tidimalo Chuene, said the zoning for the erf was correct, as it was zoned for business, which included, but was not limited to offices, restaurants, hotels and service industries, and the market fell within these land uses.
“Parking is a concern and the administration is busy with processes to request council for exemption to occupy the building as is. It is in the interest of the municipality to ensure the facility is made available for the benefit of the intended users,” she said.
