The Department of Economic Development in the City of Johannesburg has announced Phase Two of the issuing of temporary permits for informal traders.
The department last month took a decision to suspend the issuing of permits after a large crowd descended on its offices in the Johannesburg CBD, compromising the safety and social distancing lockdown regulation.
The City of Johannesburg has called on informal traders to bring their necessary supporting documents when applying for permits.
Member of the Mayoral Committee for Economic Development in the City of Joburg Lloyd Phillips says the process started on Wednesday and will continue until next week Tuesday.
Phillips says, “The issuing of permits for informal traders will be managed from the city’s opportunity centres across the 7 regions and the Joburg market. The issuing of spaza shops permits will be coordinated from all 7 regional opportunities centres.”
“Phase 2 implementation dates are from 22 April to 28 April 2020. All informal traders including spaza shops must ensure that they meet necessary qualifying criteria,” added Phillips.
ICYMI: Informal Traders and Spaza Shop Owners Phase 2 of issuing temporary permits during #LockdownSA will happen from 22 April to 28 April 2020 ?? #WeServeJoburg ^GZ pic.twitter.com/m2CL1FHh8N
— City of Joburg (@CityofJoburgZA) April 23, 2020
Johannesburg to start issuing temporary permits to informal food traders
The City of Johannesburg will from Monday start issuing temporary permits allowing informal food traders to operate as providers of essential services during the lockdown period.
This is in line with Co-operative Governance Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma’s announcement last week that all spaza shops and informal food traders would be allowed to trade provided they had a permit from their municipalities.
The City says only informal food traders registered on the city’s database and that of the Joburg Fresh Produce Market will be considered.
Government has announced the immediate relaxation of some lockdown regulations – including the re-opening of spaza shops – including informal food traders – as well as allowing close relatives of deceased persons to travel between provinces to attend funerals.
— SAfm news (@SAfmnews) April 2, 2020
Two men nabbed for allegedly selling illegal informal trader permits
Two men were arrested for allegedly selling and buying illegal informal trader permits in Protea Glen, Soweto, on Monday.
It’s alleged the men also sell fake medical certificates at a cost of R400 each.
Police used a decoy to lure the suspects. The man was also arrested on the crime scene and later released.
The two suspects will be charged with fraud and contravening the Disaster Management Act.
Johannesburg Metro Police Spokesperson Waynne Minnaar has hailed the arrests as a breakthrough.
“One of them will definitely be fraud as well as contravening the COVID-19 regulations. It’s important to clamp down on any illegal activity because its fraud and secondly to support the plans of government and this is contrary to what we are trying to achieve.”
The city was given a tip-off of syndicate selling illegal permits. The police moved swiftly to shut the operation down.
It’s still unclear how much the suspects made in their illicit scheme.
City of Johannesburg Spokesperson Nthatisi Modingoane says: “It’s not only a permit for informal trading; it’s also permits allowing people to move from province to province and defeating the whole regulations of the lockdown principles. So we are worried about this and we don’t know how big the extent is and our officers are busy questioning him now.”
The suspects tried resisting arrest, but police were unfazed and took them to a nearby police station.
Three people have been arrested for selling fake informal traders permits in Protea Glen Soweto. The suspects also sell fake medical certificates at a cost of 400 rand each #sabcnews pic.twitter.com/xyhqkfnOiQ
— Ditaba Tsotetsi (@tsotetsiditaba) April 20, 2020
2x suspects arrested in Protea Glen, Soweto by #JMPD Special Events & IIOC Reaction Unit officers for making fraudulent @CityofJoburgZA permits & selling them to Informal Traders. They’ll be also charged with the contravention of Lockdown regulations.#Covid19SA #LockdownSA pic.twitter.com/DXjhk52qeQ
— Jo’burg Metro Police (@JoburgMPD) April 20, 2020
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