College wall puts vendors on the pavement

A disagreement between the vendors and Ekurhuleni East College (Benoni Campus) management resulted in the campus erecting walling during the December holidays to restrict entry to the vendors.

Zuko Mbolekwa, marketing and communication manager of the college, explained that the vendors refused to sign an indemnity form given to them by management for them to continue trading on the college premises.

“Campus management had a meeting with the vendors in October about the indemnity forms, which if they had signed they could have continued to trade at no cost.

“The forms were a way of regulating who comes in and out of the campus, but also stated trading conditions for the vendors – in other words that they keep their spaces clean at all times, they are honest about what they are selling to the students and they agree to have their stalls searched at random.”

Mbolekwa added that the vendors initially agreed to sign the forms, but then changed their minds.

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“We are a drug-and alcohol-free college, but it became apparent that many students appeared intoxicated after buying from the vendors, which is unacceptable.

“The state of the stalls and the area around the stalls was also no longer acceptable to the college,” he said.

He emphasised that if they cannot comply with the college’s standards, then the gates will keep them out.

“There is no binding agreement with the college giving vendors the right to trade on our property, and a decision was made to erect perimeter walling.

“However, on January 2, vendors started trading outside the college, on the pavement, and taxi drivers dropped students off at the gate, which caused a lot of traffic congestion for other motorists in the morning and afternoon.

“The college has no control over what happens on council’s property outside our premises.”

Lerato Monyane, media liaison officer for the Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department, confirmed that the vendors have been trading outside the campus.

“The vendors were stopped from trading until the matter is resolved, and the taxis are still using the college parking However, the matter is under discussion with the principal of the college to reach a resolution.”