Mmapula Mohube writes: I am reading today’s paper (page 3 of the August 7 edition) on the flower seller. I am really appalled by the way the poor seller were treated by the EMPD. It is true that he started the business a long time ago and the local people don’t have any problem with him. We support him because he was not stealing from anyone, and enjoyed a loyal customer base (myself included) to feed his family. We don’t have a problem with him selling at the corner because he doesn’t leave the place dirty.
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I also want to contribute to his fine and EMPD should tell us if they are treating all the people selling in Benoni the same. On Voortrekker Street people opened salons on the street. Do they have a permit? And is it allowed for people to conduct such a business in an open space? If permit areas are closed then they should provide the seller with conditional (temporary) approval while waiting for the offices to be fully operational.
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I want to plead with the EMPD to please provide the seller with a temporary permit and allow him to continue to sell the flowers because some of us can’t afford the exorbitant prices of flowers charged by certain retailers. Editor’s note: The City Times contacted the EMPD on July 29, asking if there is any way the man can get a permit as this is his income to provide for his family. We also asked how the EMPD handles the confiscations of goods when it comes to hawkers of this nature. A member from the EMPD said they are working on a response and will revert once finalised. 
