Hawkers vs City of Johannesburg: Street Traders Take Their Fight for Survival Back to Court

Hawkers vs City of Johannesburg: Street Traders Take Their Fight for Survival Back to Court

The bustling sidewalks of Johannesburg’s CBD, long a lifeline for thousands of informal traders, have become a legal battleground once again. On Monday, the Socio-Economic Rights Institute of South Africa (SERI) is set to return to court on behalf of street hawkers challenging their removal by the City of Johannesburg.

At the heart of the case is a simple yet powerful question: who gets to belong in Joburg’s city centre and on whose terms?

A Fight for the Right to Make a Living

For many hawkers, their stalls are not just makeshift shops, they’re survival. After years of economic hardship and soaring unemployment, informal trading remains one of the few ways for many Joburgers to feed their families.

But that livelihood is now under threat. The City has been clearing traders it claims are operating “in undesignated areas” without permits. According to Johannesburg Mayor Dada Morero, the clean-up is part of a broader campaign to restore order to the CBD.

“Our project is not against anyone,” Morero said. “We’re simply enforcing city bylaws to ensure those who trade do so in the right spaces, while taking care of the environment.”

The City argues that unregulated trading fuels congestion, urban decay, and even crime, straining an already fragile infrastructure.

SERI Steps In: “This Is About Constitutional Rights”

SERI, representing dozens of displaced traders, has pushed back hard, calling the removals “a violation of the right to trade” enshrined in South Africa’s Constitution. The organisation argues that the City’s approach criminalises poverty rather than addressing it through inclusive planning or proper consultation.

This isn’t the first time SERI has taken on the City over informal trading. In past cases, courts have ruled that authorities must provide fair notice and designated spaces before removing traders. For hawkers, that history gives them hope, but it also highlights how little has changed.

Public Reactions: “Clean Streets or Clean Slates?”

On social media, the issue has sparked a heated debate. Some residents welcome the crackdown, saying it will bring order back to the CBD, which has long struggled with overcrowding and litter. Others argue the City is targeting the most vulnerable, people who, in the absence of jobs, have created their own micro-economy.

“We can’t talk about dignity while chasing away those who hustle for it,” one user posted on X (formerly Twitter).

For many Joburgers, this debate goes beyond bylaw enforcement, it’s about how the city defines progress. Is “cleaning up” the city about beautification, or about inclusion?

As the court battle continues, the outcome could reshape how Johannesburg and other South African metros, balance urban renewal with economic survival.

If SERI wins, the ruling may force the City to rethink how it allocates trading spaces and manages street vendors. If the City prevails, hawkers may face tighter restrictions, pushing more of them into the margins.

For now, the city’s pavements remain both workplace and war zone, where the fight for dignity, order, and opportunity unfolds daily under the Jozi sun.

{Source: EWN}

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