The informal traders also urged the City of Johannesburg against being hasty in concluding the proclamation of new streets designated for trading and the repealing of some existing streets.
The City of Johannesburg had been in consultation with various stakeholders during which several submissions were made regarding the future of informal traders.
“Today the city had a fruitful and successful meeting with various traders’ associations, property owners, business owners, transport and academics on progress to date on the future of informal trade in the city,” the city council said in a statement.
According to the city council, the consultation, which was at the request of stakeholders, provided the participants with the opportunity to further present their submissions to other parties.
These were then open for discussion and criticism.
The city council was set to hold further discussions towards developing a plan to more efficiently manage and support the growth of informal trading in the inner city early next year.
However, it would first avail all necessary documentation to allow for proper engagement.
The city council was optimistic that the next round of consultations would be promising.
“It does appear that future discussions will be more amicable because it is clear that there is much common ground regarding informal trade and urban management,” the city council said.
Last year, the city council forcibly removed more than 6 000 traders from the streets of the inner city as part of its Operation Clean Sweep, which sought to register all street traders and reallocate them to different trading areas.
However, in December the Constitutional Court ruled that the traders could return to their pavement spots and continue trading.
The city council was ordered not to harass the informal traders once they returned to their stalls and started operating and to pay the costs of the application.
The city council maintained that all engagement with the traders has since been in compliance with the ruling.
