According to the city council’s spokesperson Nthatisi Modingoane, a motion to prohibit trading in the city centre was never tabled. He accused SA National Traders’ Retail Alliance spokesperson Edmund Elias of providing misleading information when he stated that the mayoral committee had passed a motion to prohibit street trading in the city centre.
Elias earlier accused the city council of passing a motion to ban street trading in the city centre despite a Constitutional Court ruling.
Modingoane moved to clarify that the Informal Trading Implementation Framework, which sought the city council’s approval for starting an engagement process on the declaration of trading areas in the inner city, was approved.
He added that contrary to Elias’s claims, no councillors contested it and the report was approved by a full sitting of council.
The process would be undertaken in collaboration with informal traders’ representatives and other interested and affected stakeholders to determine which trading areas would be revoked and the designation of new trading areas, he said.
Modingoane added that the city council would ensure that informal traders participate in the new process to designate trading areas.
The framework aimed to establish a well-managed informal trading sector, which addresses the needs of its stakeholders and was effectively integrated into the economic, spatial and social development goals of the city council, he said.
“The City of Johannesburg is committed to the development of the informal trading sector by creating viable trading spaces to ensure that Joburg becomes a livable city in which people can live, work and play,” said Modingoane.
To avoid congestion, the process would include identifying streets with less traffic that would be designated as trading areas; and removing on-street parking in road sections with heavy traffic.
Further, plans to widen pedestrian walkways, especially near public transport facility nodes, would be addressed.
A technical team consisting of critical City departments, traders’ representatives as well as other stakeholders will be established for consultation and the public would soon be invited to comment on the proposed framework.
Last year, the city council forcibly removed more than 6 000 traders from streets of the inner city as part of its Operation Clean Sweep. However, in December the Constitutional Court ruled that the traders could return to their pavement spots and continue trading.
Modingoane assured that the city council was committed to ensuring that the order by the Constitutional Court on 5 December 2013 is implemented.
