August 26, 2002
By Jonews reporter
MOST of the street traders who have been working around the Sandton Convention Centre have been allocated stalls at Ubuntu Village or spaces at the Sandton taxi rank, according to a spokesman for the City of Johannesburg.
Mbangwa Xaba, city liaison officer, was reacting on Monday to concerns about the disappearance of street traders in Sandton and "media reports suggesting that we are victimising street traders and beggars in Sandton".
"To the contrary," he said, "arrangements were made for the informal traders to be accommodated appropriately during the World Summit in and around secured and profitable venues."
Those traders selling artefacts and curios on Maude, West and Fifth Streets were directed to Ubuntu Village, while vegetable and fruit sellers were given slots at the taxi rank.
It was security considerations that impelled the moves, as well as concern for the safety of informal traders.
"Due to security issues at the World Summit for Sustainable Development," he said, "provisions were made to keep trading away from these areas. This is the case because motorcades of high profiled delegates such as heads of states travel at high speed and therefore could pose a danger to traders and beggars. This move will also ensure that there is no security breach."
Street traders operating at the intersections of Grayston Drive and Katherine Street have also been moved as "high security diplomatic convoys will use these intersections and this could prove dangerous for those operating between lanes.
"Also moved were new traders who have descended on Sandton to take advantage of the opportunities presented by the summit."
The Johannesburg World Summit Company (Jowsco) has done everything possible, he said, to allocate spaces for street traders to continue plying their trade.
"We accept that street trading has become an essential part of the local people's income-generating activities and accordingly, the city's economic development strategy, Joburg 2030, recognises this fact. Contained in this strategy are intentions to make informal trading a viable economic activity. The focus of the strategy is to normalise the activity by linking it to formal sectors, improving distribution networks, providing infrastructure for certain grades within the sector and implementing skills development initiatives linked to the trading markets.
"The purpose of the programme is to develop a sustainable and supported trader community that will be operating in areas and facilities with relevant information to assist traders in understanding the sector in which they are operating."
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