A woman was arrested for attacking a law enforcement vehicle with an iron bar and bricks after officers raided stalls and homeless people in Gatesville over the weekend.
Angry traders have slammed the City of Cape Town, saying they were victims of police brutality and bullying after their goods were confiscated on Saturday afternoon.
According to law enforcement spokesperson, Wayne Dyason, the traders are not licensed and the City had received complaints of illegal trading from other stallholders.
The joint operation included officials from the City’s waste removal team.
“A situation where traders who have complied with the law and acquired permits have to trade alongside stallholders who have not, has generated complaints that the City could not ignore.
“The goods of four illegal traders were impounded and three traders were fined for ignoring compliance notices previously served on them, while nine were fined for not having any trading permits and three for trading at bus benches,” said Dyason.
But stall owners say the City is targeting poor people who are just out to make a living.
In April, law enforcement officers also raided the traders, which led to 12 traders being fined.
Sharief Fredericks, a fruit and veg stall owner in Gatesville for the last seven years, tells the Daily Voice he applied for a trading permit years ago but is still waiting.
“They always come when it is our peak times of business and they are always very rude with us.
“I personally have been applying for a permit for so long now but I am still waiting, and when I tell the cops this, then they still want to take my stuff.
“When they raid, they take our stuff away and say we can come fetch it after a week or so, plus we must pay a fine of over R500.
“I use the stall to make money so where must I get money from? Plus when I do manage to get the fine money and I get my stock, then it’s all vrot and I cannot use it anyway.”
A video of the operation shows several law enforcement officers removing packets of chips from an elderly couple as they plead with the officials, who end up throwing their table over.
Fowzia Veerasamy of the Gatesville Neighbourhood Watch expressed disgust at the treatment of the couple: “The owner of the stall in the video is an elderly woman and should have been treated with dignity and respect.
“While they were busy with the stalls, they also targeted the squatters by the post office and they attacked the law enforcement vehicle.
“The cops went to arrest one woman, yet they cannot act so quickly for all the murders and other stuff that go on in the area.”
Dyason confirmed one woman was arrested for allegedly attacking a vehicle with an iron bar and bricks.