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Residents, counsellors and political parties gather at Johannesburg High Court regarding the City’s implementation of trading policy by-laws, 31 October 2025.
The case of the Socio-Economic Right Institute (SERI) and the City of Johannesburg regarding the removal of informal traders in the Central Business District (CBD) has been postponed to Monday.
The Johannesburg High Court has given the parties more time to find common ground.
SERI which represents informal traders has argued that the removals are in violation of the hawkers’ right to trade.
The city insists it is implementing by-laws and that this is part of efforts to reclaim the city and regulate trading.
WATCH: Joburg Mayor faces off with SERI in court dispute.
The City has raised concerns about unregulated trading activities that have contributed to escalating lawlessness, urban decay, and further strain on already compromised infrastructure in the Inner City. The City remains… pic.twitter.com/5ugo7wLrlr
— City of Joburg (@CityofJoburgZA) October 31, 2025
Johannesburg Mayor, Dada Morero says the verification process of street traders is crucial.
Morero says the city has proposed and made a commitment to go through a verification process because it is crucial to confirm that, indeed whoever is claiming to have been trading, needs to be confirmed whether they are eligible and is a South African citizen.
“If it’s an asylum seeker, does the law allow him to be at that space? That process was supposed to then start with immediate effect from tomorrow. But unfortunately, we haven’t reached an agreement. It has been put on hold, until we meet again on Monday, here in court,” says Morero.
Video | Johannesburg inner city traders march outside the Johannesburg High Court:
