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FILE | A trader on the pavement in Joburg CBD
Johannesburg Mayor Dada Morero says out of the 500 traders listed during the court proceedings in its case against the Socio-Economic Rights Institute, only 93 people have stepped forward to register.
The case centered around the removal of informal traders from the Johannesburg CBD.
The High Court in Johannesburg has ordered the city to complete a verification and registration process for informal traders within two weeks.
Morero says the drop in the number of traders willing to register supports the city’s assertion that many of them were operating illegally.
“The entire 93 are South African citizens and indeed we’ll be allocating them proper spaces where they should be trading. We’re given 18 days to conclude that process, but till today since we started, it’s only 93 that has come through. Which says the city was correct to say that the bulk of those that were trading here were trading illegally and did not even have permits and there were in the spaces that were not meant for trading.”
WATCH | Johannesburg Mayor Dada Morero says of the 500-odd informal traders on the list given during the court proceedings, only 93 have come forward for registration and verification, all of whom are South African citizens and will be allocated proper trading spaces. pic.twitter.com/PtTYiFPNdw
— SABC News (@SABCNews) November 11, 2025
