Kim Helfrich

The days of pedestrians competing for space with hawkers on Pretoria CBD pavements are numbered.

An agreement between Tshwane metro and four informal traders associations will see street stalls replace the current haphazard arrangement.

The metro has set aside R10m to build the stalls, some of which are expected to be on site and operational before year-end. This applies particularly to the CBD, with areas such as Sunnyside and Hatfield on the longer-term list.

Other areas covered by the memorandum of agreement between Tshwane Informal Traders Forum, Tshwane Informal Traders Council, Tshwane Nafcoc, Tshwane Micro Entrepreneurs League and the metro are the lack of sanitation and ablution facilities, insufficient demarcated trading areas, lack of overnight storage facilities and congestion.

Tshwane mayor Kgosientso Ramokgopa acknowledged informal trade was a contributor to the local economy, providing opportunities for emerging entrepreneurs and creating jobs.He pointed out hawkers

plying their trade on the metro’s streets were responsible for R600m of the Tshwane fresh produce market’s annual R2bn turnover.

kimh@thenewage.co.za