Bead traders evicted for permit violation

Durban - Rural traders who come to Durban’s Victoria Market every Friday to sell their beads were evicted by the eThekwini Municipality last Friday, after they failed to pay for trade permits.

After setting up their stalls,

more than 500 traders who had been selling their wares there for six years were told they could no longer trade unless they had permits.

Thembi Shozi, a 67-year-old informal trader, said she did not understand the need to pay for permits.

She said a six-month trade permit cost R350 and was more than many of the traders made in a month.

“There is no money here; if someone makes R50 a day, that would be their happy day,” Shozi said.

The manager of the South African Informal Workers’ Association, Phumzile Xulu, said the dispute between the municipality and the traders had been going on for six years.

“We have been engaging with the business support officials from the municipality for a long time, but have never reached an agreement on a payment plan they can create specifically for us, as we trade differently from everyday vendors,” Xulu said.

The bead women trade at the market only on a Friday.

The municipality’s head of business support, Phillip Sithole, said every informal vendor trading in eThekwini was expected to have a valid permit, whether they traded daily, or once a week.

“These people do not want to follow procedure; the way they act, they don’t seem to be in need of a place to work,” Sithole said.

Metro police spokesman Eugene Msomi confirmed that police officers had been asked to help execute the municipality’s order to evict the traders and said they would be unable to trade at the market without valid permits.

The Mercury