Gatesville traders were left kwaad and questioned the City’s motives on Thursday when Law Enforcement officers confiscated their goods and issued fines.
More than 10 traders selling items such as fruit, vegetables, eggs, clothes and groceries were told they are trading illegally and were issued fines between R500 and R1500 while many of their goods were confiscated.
A 25-year-old male trader, who had his stall for over six years, said: “They came here just after 11am, which is our busiest time and spent about 30 minutes.
“Normally when they come then they give us a warning or just write out a fine, but now they just came and took the people’s stuff away.
“I quickly packed up my stuff and put it away, but they still gave me a R500 for illegal trading.
“After they left, I waited a bit and then brought my stuff out again because this is the only way that I earn money.”
The trader said he has been on the City’s e-service waiting list for trading bays for the last two years.
Another trader, who has been in Gatesville for the last eight years, said: “They took everything that was here and then they told me that I must go to Kasselsvlei to go and fetch my stuff on Tuesday.
“By the time I have to go fetch it then all the stuff is going to be vrot, which means I lose money and then I must go to pay R1600 for the fine they gave me.”
Law Enforcement spokesperson Wayne Dyason confirmed 12 fines were issued.
“The area is a legislated and gazetted prohibited informal trading area whereby informal trading is only permitted within the legislated and gazetted demarcated bays by City permit holding traders,” he says.