An informal trading plan is on the cards to curb urban decay in the Kraaifontein CBD.
This, after uncontrolled and non-enforced informal trading spots mushroomed up on main road pavements, negatively affecting formal business.
The proposed plan will investigate the feasibility of the use of the public open space in 6th Avenue, Belmont Park, as a formalised informal trading site.
According to Subcouncil 2 chair Marian Nieuwoudt, there are no big business zones situated here as found in other areas as residents move away from the area during the day and come back after work.
“The biggest problems are experienced where there is a residential area with informal trading on the opposite or either side,” she said in an earlier meeting this year.
Kraaifontein Ward 111 councillor Brenda Hansen says unhappy residents in Belmont Park are confronted daily with the unpleasant sight of informal trading on Voortrekker, Old Paarl and van Riebeeck roads.
“Informal traders sit and trade on pavements in front of shops sometimes selling the same goods, and there is no law enforcement,” says Hansen.
Neighbouring Ward 111, Ward 102 is also negatively affected according to ward councillor and member of the City’s safety and security portfolio committee, Reinhardt Bresler.
“I support job creation for the entire subcouncil, but the formal economy also needs to grow.
He said the formal trading area must be considered carefully.
“If there is no feet at an identified trading space, traders return to where feet are and therefore business is better. A plan and resources are required to manage such an area. Informal trading should have a management structure that can react immediately in order not to allow undocumented groups. As soon as a trader starts packing out goods on an illegal site, enforcement should happen immediately. If this cannot be guaranteed, informal trading cannot be allowed,” he says.
Grant Twigg, ward councillor and Mayco member for urban waste, supported the investigation but cautioned about creating a situation similar to Bellville where informal traders are overcrowded and uncontrollable.
“Informal traders cannot impact on formal business as their closing down would also create job losses.”
