JOHANNESBURG, 31 October 2025– The City of Johannesburg is under mounting criticism following a controversial campaign to remove unauthorised informal traders from the Central Business District (CBD). The move has sparked a heated public debate and a High Court battle, highlighting tensions between economic survival and the enforcement of municipal bylaws.
The informal traders fight for livelihoods has intensified after city officials cleared several trading spots in an effort to “restore order” to the CBD. Many traders say they have been left without an income, accusing the municipality of disregarding their basic right to work.
Matron Mhlanga, who had been selling goods in the same location for years, said the removal has devastated her family. “We are not waiting for tenders or grants. We are selling in the streets and making a living,” she told Report Focus News. “Now, we have nowhere to go and no way to feed our families.”
The Socio-Economic Rights Institute (SERI) has taken the matter to the High Court, challenging the City’s decision to clear the traders. Outside the courthouse on Friday, protesters gathered in support of both sides, some defending the traders’ right to work, while others backed the City’s insistence on enforcing order.
Operation Dudula spokesperson Sibongile Maseko argued that all traders, local or foreign, must comply with municipal regulations. “The South Africans that want to trade must approach the City and apply for those permits,” Maseko said. “It’s illegality, and we cannot allow that.”
In response, the City of Johannesburg maintained that informal trading, when unregulated, contributes to the “deterioration and degradation” of the CBD environment. Mayor Dada Morero reiterated that bylaw enforcement would continue despite public pressure. “There are processes in government,” Morero said. “Only when you register will you be given a stall. If there is no stall available, you must wait. Everybody is required to respect the law.”
As the legal battle unfolds, the fate of hundreds of informal traders hangs in the balance, reflecting the broader struggle between economic inclusion and urban order in one of South Africa’s busiest cities.
