The South African Federation of Trade Unions (SAFTU) welcomes the landmark ruling by the Johannesburg High Court directing the City of Johannesburg to verify, register, and allocate trading spaces to qualifying informal traders within two weeks.
This judgment, secured through the tireless efforts of the Socio-Economic Rights Institute (SERI) on behalf of the affected traders, represents a significant victory for the working poor against arbitrary and inhumane actions by the City. For months, informal traders in the inner city have faced harassment, confiscation of goods, and forced removals under the guise of by-law enforcement. The City’s heavy-handed approach has stripped thousands of their livelihoods, deepening the crisis of poverty, hunger, and unemployment.
SAFTU has consistently condemned these abuses, arguing that they amount to the criminalisation of poverty and a violation of the constitutional rights to dignity and work. The court’s verdict affirms what SAFTU and progressive movements have long maintained: informal traders are not criminals, but part of the working class who sustain families, support communities, and contribute to the urban economy in a society that fails to create jobs.
South Africa’s unemployment crisis remains catastrophic. In the second quarter of 2025, 41.3% of the population was unemployed, while the informal sector lost a further 19,000 jobs. Against this backdrop, the City’s campaign to remove traders from the inner city was not only unjust but economically reckless, punishing those already excluded from the formal economy, and targeting the very people struggling to survive amid rising living costs and joblessness.
SAFTU strongly rejects the use of “safe, clean, and orderly cities” as a cover for anti-poor and anti-working-class urban policies. Urban order cannot be achieved through exclusion or repression. Development must be people-centred, and by-laws must be implemented with fairness, transparency, and compassion. The poor cannot be pushed out of sight simply to create an illusion of order for the wealthy.
We therefore urge the City of Johannesburg to comply fully and urgently with the court order. The municipality must engage meaningfully with informal trader associations and community organisations to design a fair and transparent system for verification, registration, and allocation of trading spaces. During this process, no trader should be subjected to harassment, confiscation, or eviction.
Localisation, Industrialisation and the Fight against Dumping
Even as we celebrate this important victory, SAFTU reminds workers and communities that our struggle for economic inclusion must be tied to localisation and industrialisation. The goods sold in both the formal and informal sectors must increasingly be locally produced and carry certification confirming their South African origin.
Our clothing, textile, and leather industries have been devastated by cheap imports and dumping, destroying hundreds of thousands of decent jobs and hollowing out local manufacturing capacity. If we are not vigilant, victories such as this could unintentionally open the door to a flood of dumped goods- turning a struggle for dignity into a pathway for renewed exploitation.
SAFTU therefore calls on all workers, consumers, and informal traders to buy local, support local industries, and reject dumped goods that undermine South African jobs. Strengthening border controls, eliminating corruption and inefficiency in customs, and promoting domestic production are essential to rebuilding our industrial base and creating sustainable livelihoods.
As we have repeatedly argued, economic justice cannot exist without production justice. Protecting the rights of informal traders must go hand in hand with reviving local industries, enforcing trade laws, and combating corruption at our borders. Otherwise, we risk cutting off our nose to spite our face-celebrating small victories while our broader economy collapses under the weight of deindustrialisation and import dependence.
A Broader Call for Justice
This court victory must serve as a warning to municipalities across South Africa: the days of treating informal workers as nuisances are over. Justice, dignity, and equality must guide all state actions.
The struggle for decent work and social justice extends beyond formal workplaces. Informal traders are workers too, deserving of respect, protection, and recognition. SAFTU stands in unwavering solidarity with them in their fight for economic inclusion, industrial revival, and human dignity.
A Statement was issued on behalf of SAFTU General Secretary Zwelinzima Vavi
For media inquiries, contact the National Spokesperson at
Newton Masuku at:
Newton@saftu.org.za
0661682157
Media Officer
Asive Dyani
0719019564
