The Johannesburg High Court has postponed a legal dispute between informal traders and the City of Johannesburg over evictions in the central business district until Monday. The Socio-Economic Rights Institute, representing the traders, argues the removals violate their right to trade, while the city defends the actions as necessary for regulation and urban renewal. Mayor Dada Morero emphasized the need for a verification process to ensure eligibility.
The case stems from evictions of informal traders that began on October 2, 2025, in areas like De Villiers Street in Johannesburg's inner city. The Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD) removed traders and ordered them to apply for permits under a policy approved in April 2022, which introduces a digital permit system for designated zones. However, the policy's implementation was delayed until early October 2025, leading to the current legal challenge.
On October 31, 2025, the Gauteng Division of the High Court heard the application by the traders, represented by the Socio-Economic Rights Institute (SERI), to declare the evictions illegal and restore their trading spots. The court granted more time for negotiations, postponing proceedings to Monday. SERI contends that the removals unlawfully disrupted livelihoods, with traders reporting severe financial hardship. First applicant Ayanda Kela, trading since 2002, stated, “Since trading has been interrupted, I will not be able to provide for my children. I cannot even afford to provide them lunch money.” Informal trader Mericca Kheswa added, “Being unable to work will make them suffer, and they will starve and will not be able to go to school.”
The city, led by Mayor Dada Morero, insists the evictions aim to regulate trading and address lawlessness, urban decay, and infrastructure strain from unregulated activities. Morero highlighted a proposed verification process starting immediately after the hearing but placed on hold until Monday, to confirm traders' eligibility as South African citizens. MMC for economic development Nomoya Mnisi blamed SERI for past delays, saying, “We are only implementing now because we have had those ‘slowdown litigations’ from Seri.” SERI's Deborah Raduba countered, “We didn’t litigate last year. We only sent letters.”
This dispute echoes prior rulings, including a 2014 Constitutional Court decision criticizing the city's trader removals as “humiliation and degradation.” Last Friday before the hearing, the city issued 40 smart card permits, but traders noted their previous permits expired in 2016 and were not renewed since 2012. Some residents support the evictions for cleaner streets, though others question the timing ahead of elections.