Hawkers march in Johannesburg

2011-04-13 15:42

Johannesburg - Hawkers in the greater Johannesburg area marched to the city's municipal offices on Wednesday to protest against "marginalisation".

One Voice of All Hawkers organisation leader Zakes Ramatumula said: "The hawkers are demanding the construction of proper trading stalls in the townships where harassment has reached a fever pitch."

The march came after "countless efforts" to secure trading spaces for the ever increasing number of informal traders in the city centre and the Johannesburg townships, he said.

SA National Trader's Retail Association (Santra) spokesperson Edmund Elias said street trading was banned in Yeoville when stalls were build for about 400 hawkers in 1998.

"Within days, many traders began leaving the market, returning to the streets, as they failed to make a living in that facility.

"Markets as a total alternative to street trading did not work," he said.

He explained that a conflict of interests had erupted between remaining market traders and those who traded on the streets, because those in stalls were promised there would be no competition.

"The population in the area has multiplied several times between 1998 and the present.

"Hundreds more micro-traders can and are being absorbed by market forces.

"The system needs to catch up with the peoples' initiative," he said.

- SAPA