DA SUPPORTS INFORMAL TRADERS AGAINST JMPD PLUNDERING

The Democratic Alliance in Gauteng supports efforts coordinated by the South African National Traders' Retail Alliance (SANTRA), against widespread plundering of "confiscated" goods from hawkers by the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police (JMPD).

During several public hearings with informal traders in the last few months the Gauteng DA , together with the Economic Development Portfolio Committee of the Gauteng Legislature, has heard widespread testimony that the JMPD deliberately targets informal traders and confiscates their goods, including items such as refrigerators, which are never seen again.

The DA in Gauteng condemns these illegal actions of ill-disciplined JMPD personnel. These actions are a breach of fundamental human and property rights and they destroy   individual job creators and emerging SMEs.

We will support SANTRA's stand on this issue at their upcoming meeting with the Johannesburg City authorities and call on the MECs for Economic Development and for Community Safety in the Gauteng Provincial Government to urgently investigate allegations of "criminal syndicates" that prey on the poor. Jobs are scarce enough without penalising the job creators.

Statement issued by Gavin Lewis, DA MPL, DA Gauteng Economic Development spokesman, May 3 2012

Click here to sign up to receive our free daily headline email newsletter