23 August, 2002
1(superscript: st) Floor A-Block Metropolitan
Centre
158 Loveday Street Braamfontein
Johannesburg
P O Box 1049 Johannesburg
2000
Tel: 011 407 7226 Fax: 403 3494/403
7738
E-Mail:
Mbangwax@joburg.co.za
Cell: 082 467
9230
Press Release
To: All News
Editors
From: The City of
Johannesburg
"We support informal trading" -Joburg
We
distance ourselves from media reports suggesting that we are
victimising
street traders and beggars in
Sandton, where the World Summit on
Sustainable
Development will be held from Monday.
To the
contrary, arrangements were made for the informal traders to
be
accommodated appropriately during the World Summit in
and around secured
and profitable venues. Due to security issues at the
WSSD, 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.
Our responsibility as a city is to ensure that we attain a
managed urban
environment that is functional. As part of this responsibility
the city has
developed a number of by-laws and a policy to control this
environment.
The street trading and other related by laws are part of
these regulations.
The purpose of the street trading by-laws is to ensure
that street traders
needs are meet without compromising the needs of other
users (pedestrians,
service providers and property owners) of public
infrastructure and open
spaces.
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
normalize 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.
A small number of informal traders
who ply their trade in Sandton close to
the Sandton Convention Centre
(Maude, West and Fifth Streets) were advised
of the security implications
before the summit. Arrangements were made with
them to be
allocated space at Ubuntu village. This applied to
traders
selling artifacts and curios. Those selling
perishables, mainly on Fifth
Street, were allocated space across the street
at the Sandton Taxi rank.
Traders operating at
the intersections of Grayston drive and Katherine
Street
have been moved for their own safety
as well. 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. Despite
the shortage of space at Ubuntu, the
Johannesburg World
Summit Company (Jowsco) did everything possible
to
allocate more space nonetheless.
Traders are requested to stay
away from the high security zones in Sandton.
Facilities have been built in
appropriate areas and more are in the process
of construction for informal
traders to legalise their position and
maximise their
turnover.
ENDS.
For More information
contact
Mbangwa Xaba
Media Liaison
Tel: 407 7226
Fax: 403
3494
082 467 9230
Or visit our website www.joburg.org.za