CoJ says court ruling ordering it to speed up verification & registration of informal traders 'a victory'

The City of Johannesburg said it viewed the court ruling that ordered it to speed up the verification and registration of informal traders as a win for the rule of law.

The Gauteng High Court on Monday directed the city to prioritise allocating stalls to verified informal traders within the next two weeks.

The Socio-Economic Rights Institute of South Africa took the city to court after it removed unauthorised informal traders from their long-standing trading spots.

The court ruled that the city must accelerate the process of regulating the sector.

Acting Johannesburg Mayor Eunice Mgcina said the court order reinforced the city’s belief that the informal trading sector should operate within the bounds of the law.

"We definitely see it as a victory, as the City of Johannesburg. It’s basically what we want to do. We want to ensure that everyone is here legally and that everyone operates in Johannesburg with relevant documentation that is permitted by the social development department."

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