Informal trader wonders how she'll provide for her family as CoJ ramps up by-law enforcement

An informal trader in the Johannesburg CBD said she has no idea how she’s going to pay her rent, after being unable to work for nearly a month.

This comes as the City of Johannesburg ramps up its by-law enforcement drive, which has included evicting traders operating outside designated areas.

The metropolitan municipality has been embroiled in a legal battle with the Socio-Economic Rights Institute of South Africa (SERI), which argued that the traders’ constitutional right to earn a living was being violated by the enforcement drive.

On Monday, the Gauteng High Court ordered the city to speed up the process of verifying informal traders and assigning them trading stalls.

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For years, Thokozani Ndlovu has supported her family by selling steel wool, snacks, and other kitchen essentials. She said the income from her stall was enough to provide food for her family, cover her monthly rent of R2,500, and pay her taxi fare.

However, Ndlovu said the past month had been particularly challenging for her, as her source of income was taken away. She now faces the difficult task of finding alternative ways to keep a roof over her family’s head.

In a candid quote, Ndlovu expressed her desperation: "I don’t know how I’m going to pay my rent. The landlords chase you out if you’re not working. They don’t give chances. They don’t care what’s going on. The only thing they want is their money."

The City of Johannesburg has confirmed that informal traders will now be vetted and assigned designated trading stalls.

The city has emphasised that it will no longer allow traders to set up stalls wherever they choose, a move that is part of its commitment to enforcing by-laws and maintaining order in the CBD.

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