By Lebone Rodah Mosima
Scores of informal traders in the City of Joburg are expected to march to Braam Park on Thursday to protest what they describe as harassment and ill-treatment by the Johannesburg Metro Police Department and municipal authorities. The traders, who operate legally within the Inner City Improvement District, are demanding the re-marking of trading stands and the issuing of permits.
They are calling on Joburg mayor Dada Morero and city manager Floyd Brink to take immediate action.
The Johannesburg Informal Traders Development Powerhouse (JOWEDET) says it is lodging a petition against the alleged ill-treatment and harassment of informal traders operating in designated spaces.
JOWEDET president Lulama Mali said the march will take place on 19 February 2026 through the inner city improvement districts, starting at 09:00 at Library Gardens Square before proceeding to Braam Park.
Mali said the petition represents traders who have operated for years in council-designated spaces but were allegedly removed without prior notice or alternative arrangements under the City’s new plans to reconfigure trading areas.
“It is our understanding that trading spaces are regulated in terms of the Business Act, section 71 of 1991, read with the 2012 City of Johannesburg Informal Trading By-laws. Our approach is to seek collaboration and cooperation with the City in clarifying designated trading areas in line with the City’s Informal Trading Policy,” Mali said.
He alleged that traders were removed from designated stands on Eloff Street and Von Brandis Street, including the stretch of Eloff Street between Plein and Jeppe streets, while the City claims it is reallocating trading spaces.
“This is our livelihood,” he said.
Mali highlighted what he described as the collapse of informal trading management within retail and city improvement districts, where certain business and residential precincts have been declared restricted or prohibited for trading, except in demarcated areas.
He added that legislative research confirms that while trading may be regulated, it is limited only in specific sections.
“Immediate action and decisive leadership are needed to restore the City to its world-class status and ensure order, including clarity on the informal trading sector,” he said.
Mali said JOWEDET had sent several emails to City leadership requesting a meeting to address what he described as the harassment of traders who have operated legally for more than 30 years. He warned that inconsistent enforcement of by-laws was fostering lawlessness.
He called on Morero and Brink to engage in proper consultation with informal traders’ representatives to develop a constructive approach to managing informal trade.
“Johannesburg is at a breaking point. Neglecting the City’s infrastructure and governance will lead to irreversible collapse. The residents of Johannesburg deserve better,” Mali said.
Among the organisation’s demands are the re-demarcation of council-approved trading spaces in line with the 2016 layout map and existing by-laws, the fast-tracking of new permits for lawful traders in designated areas, and clear, timely communication from the City with all affected stakeholders.
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