Improved working conditions are on the cards for more than 1000 hawkers across Buffalo City Metro in the form of adequate infrastructure, cooler boxes and umbrellas, thanks to a R2.5-million project in the new financial year.
BCM business development manager Xolelwa Majiza said although the municipality had about 500 registered hawkers, the programme aimed to capacitate all vendors in the metro over a three-year period, which could be extended if necessary.
“The registered hawkers are mostly the ones within the city centre who have been easier to access and have been made more aware of bylaws and licensing, but as we process the rollout of infrastructure for all hawkers we will capture all of them on our database and get them to register and comply with bylaws according to their respective jurisdictions.”
Majiza said the programme would begin on the metro’s outskirts, among traders from Berlin and further inland who have complained of being neglected and last to benefit from any programmes hosted by the metro.
“Our hawkers are victims of extreme weather conditions and within the three-year period we want to see them using clean, practical stands that can display their products and give them shelter, with folding chairs, umbrellas and cooler boxes – particularly for hawkers who sell meat.
“They need to understand the health implications of selling meat that is exposed to the sun all day and they need to adhere to health regulations. In police raids, when their meat is exposed, it is repossessed and they end up losing stock.”
Majiza said they were looking for designs that accommodated the different hawkers.
“We went to Ekurhuleni to see how they had acquired their stalls and managed their hawkers, because what they have there is what we want to see happening here. They have professionalised the trading business for hawkers and given them their own space.”
“It’s not proper to have hawkers in front of shops and banks like you see in Oxford Street, which is why we are planning to demarcate some streets strictly for our hawkers. Bylaws will be enforced to ensure no others mushroom across the city,” she said.
Berlin hawker Nonzukiso Jubele, who has been selling vegetables and fruit for over 15 years, said BCM came to install a sample stall in 2013, which has since been stolen.
“It was one stall made of steel. Personally I didn’t like it because it didn’t accommodate the seller although it had space for displays.
“I’m excited to learn about the new stands you are talking about and I can’t wait to be among the first to receive them because
BCM to embrace vendors with R2.5m
BCM business development manager Xolelwa Majiza said although the municipality had about 500 registered hawkers, the programme aimed to capacitate all vendors in the metro over a three-year period, which could be extended if necessary.
“The registered hawkers are mostly the ones within the city centre who have been easier to access and have been made more aware of bylaws and licensing, but as we process the rollout of infrastructure for all hawkers we will capture all of them on our database and get them to register and comply with bylaws according to their respective jurisdictions.”
Majiza said the programme would begin on the metro’s outskirts, among traders from Berlin and further inland who have complained of being neglected and last to benefit from any programmes hosted by the metro.
“Our hawkers are victims of extreme weather conditions and within the three-year period we want to see them using clean, practical stands that can display their products and give them shelter, with folding chairs, umbrellas and cooler boxes – particularly for hawkers who sell meat.
“They need to understand the health implications of selling meat that is exposed to the sun all day and they need to adhere to health regulations. In police raids, when their meat is exposed, it is repossessed and they end up losing stock.”
Majiza said they were looking for designs that accommodated the different hawkers.
“We went to Ekurhuleni to see how they had acquired their stalls and managed their hawkers, because what they have there is what we want to see happening here. They have professionalised the trading business for hawkers and given them their own space.”
“It’s not proper to have hawkers in front of shops and banks like you see in Oxford Street, which is why we are planning to demarcate some streets strictly for our hawkers. Bylaws will be enforced to ensure no others mushroom across the city,” she said.
Berlin hawker Nonzukiso Jubele, who has been selling vegetables and fruit for over 15 years, said BCM came to install a sample stall in 2013, which has since been stolen.
“It was one stall made of steel. Personally I didn’t like it because it didn’t accommodate the seller although it had space for displays.
“I’m excited to learn about the new stands you are talking about and I can’t wait to be among the first to receive them because
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