Relief for eSikhaleni street vendors
Vendors who operate within the township's mall received trading tables.
FOLLOWING allegations of police and security personnel harassment of eSikhaleni street vendors, the City of uMhlathuze has intervened to improve the situation.
In response to a memorandum handed to the municipality in July, vendors who operate within the township’s mall received trading tables.
Vendors who conduct their business on the mall’s pavement complained about working conditions and claimed police and the security company personnel harassesed them on a regular basis.
‘They always tell us we are not allowed to operate on the pavement, and remove us by force,’ they said. They requested municipal intervention to ‘end their misery’.
Speaking to the Zululand Observer on Wednesday, vendors said some of them now operate under a secure shelter and have been provided with tables. This followed their registration with the municipality and a R45 trading fee.
‘People from the municipality came and helped us to get these tables. They were always available, but we didn’t know what to do to use them. We are really happy about it and we understand that they won’t be enough for all of us, but we appreciate the municipality’s intervention,’ said one vendor.
Female trader Nonhlanhla Mdletshe said they have not experienced any further harassment from the police since they moved to a proper shelter.
‘Things are fine now, even though we cannot all get these tables,’ said Mdletshe.
