GOOD Statement by Keagen Gertse,
GOOD Drakenstein Councillor & Caucus Whip
27 March 2025
The GOOD Party in Drakenstein calls on the political and administrative leadership to urgently resolve the issue of informal traders’ access to market space in the municipality. The call comes after Drakenstein decided to serve a notice to informal traders to vacate the central business district on the 24th of March, claiming much of the dirtiness and lawlessness in the Paarl town centre is attributed to informal traders’ business operations.
GOOD is aware that this is a complex issue but GOOD urges Municipal leadership to find a balance between humanity, access to infrastructure and the legal requirements to trade.
More concerning is how things spiralled out of control when the Executive Mayor, Stephen Korabie got involved with the eviction of traders from the CBD area.
There are concerning reports of how the mayor handled the situation and contributed to its escalation. This was a gross miscalculation on the mayors’ part and tainted the credibility of the Municipality, the Mayor’s office, and the independency of the administration, which should remain devoid of Executive meddling.
In terms of the 2002 Provincial Gazette 5906, Lady Grey Main Road is not an identified trading site; however, section 2(5) of the Municipal Informal Trading By-law recognises the existence of historical non-demarcated sites for trading and that the municipality will endeavour to ensure that informal traders access dignified environments.
All things considered, at the core of this problem is the glaring fact that in the past 23 years the municipality has done very little to review demarcated areas and develop infrastructure to accommodate and promote informal trading in Drakenstein. And this is a political decision, not an administrative one.
Development planning has been on the backfoot in Drakenstein. And as a City of Excellence, the municipality falls extremely short in planning for the future. It happened 20 years ago when they failed to make adequate provision of sewer infrastructure for a fast-growing population, and we see it today, where no additional spaces have been gazetted to accommodate informal trade, especially in a time when unemployment is on the rise and people turn to the informal sector to make ends meet.
What is clear is that informal trade is sneered upon by the Democratic Alliance in Drakenstein. The Mayors’ actions in escalating the eviction process should be considered the political appetite of the DA as the majority party.
What should happen as a matter of urgency is that Drakenstein needs to relook its Capital Budget priorities for the 2025/2026 financial year and commit to developing additional spaces for informal trade to flourish. That is the only way Executive Mayor, Cllr. Korabie, will save face in a situation he is solely responsible for.
Media enquiries: media@forgood.org.za