Mayor Dada Morero has vowed to continue a clampdown on lawlessness in Johannesburg’s inner city, asserting that his administration will not back down from enforcing municipal by-laws. The pledge comes as the city faces a looming legal challenge following a recent operation that saw the removal of illegal traders, including the shutdown of a secondhand clothing market.
The operation is part of a broader series of actions by the metro to ensure all informal trading is conducted legally. The municipality has called on informal traders to apply for permits and is working to complete a verification and registration process for all such traders in the inner city and surrounding areas.
A municipal spokesperson detailed the progress, stating, “Though we have received applications of around 100 plus, we will be allocating traders there to start trading.” The spokesperson also clarified the restrictions on what can be sold, noting that the city’s by-laws prohibit the sale of secondhand clothes on the streets without a permit and proof of purchase. “It is only [by-laws] that can… warrant a person to sell secondhand clothes… you must also produce a permit or a receipt of where did you get the clothes from,” the spokesperson said.
However, the crackdown has been met with concern from some traders. A local trader urged the city to move faster with its verification process and expressed fear of retaliation. “The municipality should really assist traders to get proper trading licenses,” he said. “I am really worried that those who used to trade here might turn to crime and target us at night.”
The enforcement action has landed the city in a legal dispute. Opponents have alleged that the operation constitutes non-compliance with previous court rulings. Mayor Morero, however, strongly refuted these claims.
“Of course, the applicants would allege non-compliance with previous Constitutional Court or the High Court rulings, but we are clear that this claim is factually incorrect,” Morero stated. “The City of Johannesburg fully respects and complies with all court orders and in fact the Constitutional Court affirmed the city’s authority to enforce by-laws provided such enforcement is lawful and procedurally fair.”
Despite the legal pushback, Mayor Morero remains resolute. He says his administration is committed to reclaiming the inner city and ridding it of what he described as “lawlessness, filth and crime.”
