Is selling goods at the corner such a crime?
STREET vendors on the corner of William Nicol Drive and Peter Place in Sandton have decided to sell beaded ornaments to make money instead of resorting to a life of crime.
They may not have a permit to sell their stock on the street corner but they believe that they are not hurting anyone by selling at the corner.
Sue Blane, a motorist on William Nicol Drive said, “These guys told me that the Metro police take whatever they want from them.” Blane once stopped at the corner to buy a beaded-buck ornament and she spoke to the vendors.
“They hide their stock in the bushes so that the police can’t see what they have, because they will take it,” she added. “I think this is really disgusting. Someone needs to check it out. I think we all have the responsibility to stop even the smallest crime.”
Metro police confiscate the vendors’ stock when they find them on the corner selling. One of the vendors who did not want to be named in fear of victimisation said, “But we do not blame them for taking our stock. They are also just doing their job.”
Blane wonders what the police do with the stock they confiscate.
Edna Mamonyane, from the Metro police said the officers gave the vendors a fine after they confiscated their goods. “We put their things in storage and they only get them back after they have paid that fine,” she said. “They must adhere to the bylaws of the city. They must enquire about obtaining a permit with the city of Johannesburg.” What do you think of street vendors selling on the corner of your suburb? Share your views.
