Informal traders in Johannesburg have complained to the leadership of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) that government is not protecting them as they try to make an honest living.
Scores of them met with the party leadership in Braamfontein earlier on Sunday to express their long-standing grievances and how they’d like to be assisted.
They say the by-laws do not protect them and they’re continuously at the mercy of metro police who randomly confiscate their stock and assault them.
The traders also spoke about how non-South Africans who do not even have trading permits out-number them, while they struggle to secure trading places.
“The majority of street traders must be the local people, our bread must not be taken away from us by the people from outside, it is very important for us to be protected, it may be found as if we’re xenophobic, but we’re not,” says one vendor .
“Informal trading for us south Africans is the last line to defend over. The immigration act, any foreign national who comes into this country to conduct business, he must have a minimum of five-million rand in cash or in machinery,” added another .
