Many local residents who have been running stalls at the Marabastad Fruit & Veg Retail Market for decades, are up in arms after authorities closed the complex this past Monday.
One of the stall holders who did not want his name published for fear of reprisals told the Laudium Sun, “Certain officials are working in cahoots with businessmen who are trying to get us out so that they could take over the stalls”.
Another stallholder said, “The entire retail market complex belongs to the Tshwane Council. The inspectors have condemned the building and said it was not safe. I know of many buildings in the city centre that have been condemned but are still occupied. Why are they not being closed. Why is the Council not being held responsible for the safety of the building? The other complaint of the inspectors was that we are employing illegal immigrants. I can’t see why a business should be shut down because of this, why not just fine the employer? These are all excuses to get us out and give our stalls to other people.”
The Laudium Sun spoke to a certain Rahima, who has a stall at the market, who said, “I cannot say much due to the sensitive situation we are in. We just hope the matter will be resolved soon.”
Hassan Mohideen of the Boom Street Business Association said, “Our business is gone completely down since Monday when the market was closed. The inspectors even closed the mini complex. We, as businesses, are having a lot of problems with the Tshwane Council. They now want the shopkeepers in Boom Street to remove their cars that they have been parking for years in front of their shops for safety reasons, to make way for parking of taxis. Where must the business people now park their cars?”
The closure of the Marabastad Fruit and Vegetable Retail Market on Monday followed a joint multi-departmental blitz to check on compliance with labour laws and immigration legislation. The operation was led by the Department of Employment and Labour in partnership with the South African Police Service and the Department of Home Affairs’ Immigration Unit. During the joint inspection more than 20 people were arrested for being illegal immigrants, employing illegal immigrants, and employers who obstructed the inspectors from conducting their duties.
The inspection included a visit to the Oriental Retail Complex and nearby businesses where two retail stores were shut down for failure to comply with occupational health and safety regulations. Department of Employment and Labour Chief Director for Statutory and Advocacy Services in the Inspection and Enforcement Services (IES) branch, Advocate Fikiswa Bede said the inspection was led by the National Roving Team (NRT). She said the NRT inspectors were beginning to make an impact across the country.
“The fruit and vegetable market in Marabastad was served with a prohibition notice. In terms of an inspectors’ report the market has been shut down because conditions threaten, or are likely to threaten the health and/or safety of persons in terms of Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Act of 1993,” the department said.
Traders at the market have been prohibited from using the building due to lack of fire-fighting equipment at strategic locations; operating in premises with open electrical wires; non-compliance with electrical installation which poses risk of electrocution and fire. The prohibition notice will be removed once the owners of the building comply with the notice. Bede said Marabastad was becoming a high risk area for non-compliance with labour legislation and needed sustained attention. She said she was concerned that many traders in the area seemed oblivious to issues of compliance.
“It is either people here are ignorant of the law or they are just carrying on with their business without regard of consequences,” she said.
An immigration official during the blitz said there was a need for follow-up inspections to hit hard on non-compliance.
