WATCH | Joburg’s Small Street gets a clean-up as city enforces bylaws

City of Johannesburg mayor Dada Morero and officials swooped on Small Street on Monday to lead a clean-up, including demolition of ramshackle trading structures that were illegally erected.

“Small Street was once regarded as one of the inner city’s jewels, attracting residents, visitors and businesses. The city is determined to reclaim and restore the area to a clean, safe and functional public space that can once again contribute to economic activity and urban renewal,” the office of the mayor said in a statement.

MMC for group corporate and shared services Sthembiso Zungu said traders had been given prior notice to move.

“We told them in late December to demolish their stuff, but it never happened,” he said.

“The city does not look good at all. We cannot be in a situation where we are unable to enforce bylaws. Our city needs to look clean again,” said Zungu.

Metro officials are due to return to another area in the CBD on Tuesday as part of an initiative to address illegal trading, improve environmental health and enhance compliance with municipal regulations.

A woman who works in one of the shops said she no longer has a job. “This is unfair. People like myself no longer have jobs to wake up to. We are left stranded.” She said she did not have legal status and could not look for work in a retail store.

A trader said he did not think they would be shut down as they paid to operate from the area: “We pay close to R5,000 rent every month.”

Zungu said the traders had told them there was an individual in charge of taking rent from them. “They told us there is someone who owns this place and collects money from them. We’ve been waiting for this person but it was a no show.”

The operation has met with some positive comments on social media, including:

• “I must have been a teenager when Small Street Mall was this clean.”
• “Bring back the days when weekends included fun in Small Street Mall and Carlton Centre.”

There was also some scepticism:

• “I hate election season. Did he find out about Small Street yesterday? This is an insult to our intelligence, and to show how performative this is, there will be no measures put in place to prohibit hawkers in that area. They will be back next week.”
• “The mere fact that chancers were allowed to erect illegal structures inside the CBD is beyond comprehension. Bylaws are to be rigorously enforced, not negotiated.”

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