Overview
- The Gauteng High Court hears an urgent application on 31 October seeking to restore traders to inner-city sites and to declare recent removals unlawful.
- Traders, represented by the Socio-Economic Rights Institute, allege JMPD operations from 2 October removed them without due process, seized goods and cut off their only income.
- City leaders say they are implementing a 2022 informal trading policy that requires verified smart-card permits, with roughly 40 cards issued on 24 October.
- Officials blame delays on SERI’s “slowdown litigations,” which SERI disputes, saying it sent letters rather than suing last year.
- Demonstrators gathered outside the court as residents voiced mixed views on the clean-up, and the city says applicants must be South African citizens who submit ID, proof of residence and trading location details to qualify for permits.