This was said by hawkers in Vereeniging following an unexpected police raid on their stalls on Friday. The police were demanding that they produce trading permits.

“We have no time to waste queuing up for the R350 Covid-19 grant and are working for ourselves. Now our children and families are expected to starve,” said hawker Puleng Mofokeng (45). 

One tearful hawker, Dieketseng Mosele (55) of Vereeniging lamented that she has children to feed, clothe and send to school.

Police and other law enforcement officials were on the scene in the early hours of Friday morning confiscating the hawkers’ wares.

Shops, in particular those near Mark Park Shopping Centre were forced to close up when angry hawkers seemed to take out their their anger on them, by vandalizing them.

Police justified their action by saying they know they have touched a ‘raw nerve’ but also said that the raid was long overdue and was completely justified under the law.