Edmund Elias, spokesperson of the South African National Traders Retail Association said it was essential to get the traders back onto the streets and earning an income.
However, after the association made an urgent application to the Johannesburg High Court to order the city council to stop removing the traders and to allow them to return to work, the matter was postponed until 23 November.
Elias said the postponement was to allow the city council time to file responding documents by midday on 21 November.
The association represents about 700 of the estimated 6 000 traders who were removed from Johannesburg’s inner city in October.
Elias said they were displeased with the way the city council had handled the verification and reallocation of informal traders.
“The city council recurrently removed traders from 25 streets but they haven’t informed us which areas traders would not be able to return to,” said Elias.
“Traders who have been verified and are legally eligible to conduct economic activities should be allowed to return to work.”
Meanwhile the city council has acknowledged its receipt of the association’s application for an interdict against the removal of traders as part of its Clean Sweep operation but declined to comment any further on the matter.
The city council acknowledged informal traders’ contribution to the economy but reinforced its obligation to ensure that trading was organised and orderly.
