Pretoria - Both formal and informal businesses fear the worst each time placard-wielding crowds stream down the streets of the Pretoria city centre, singing Struggle songs.
This is because their businesses have been severely affected by recent marches that have hit the heart of the nation’s capital, virtually crippling their operations.
Salim Yusuf, president of the Tshwane Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said the marches had negatively affected business in the capital city. The advocate said the marches would have long-term economic effects for the country if not curtailed.
While he acknowledged the constitutional right of marchers, he warned of criminals likely to take advantage of the marches. “The police need to be vigilant in dealing with the protesters,” he said, adding that the city was hit by a protest almost every week.
To mitigate the march effects, security personnel from the city improvement district were deployed to warn business people in the city, he said.
Some of the informal traders are still struggling to get back on their feet after their entire stock was looted by violent protesters, according to the chairman of Tshwane Barekisi Forum, Shoes Maloka.
He said the hawkers’ forum, which represented more than 1 800 street sellers in the city, had a budget specifically meant to assist hawkers in the event of such situations.
He singled out recent marches by the SA Transport Workers Union and the Congress of South African Students (Cosas) as having caused a serious dent in hawkers’ businesses. City hawkers had collectively lost at about R16 000, he said. Maloka said Cosas marchers were the worst as the participants even attacked some hawkers physically. “Those kids are dangerous; they even injured one of us after hitting him with bricks,” he said.
Hendrick Kekana, an informal trader, also complained about the marches led by schoolchildren.
He said Tuesday’s march by the South African Commuters Association was peaceful, and the informal traders didn’t experience problems.
But the schoolchildren had a tendency of looting. “In the event of looting, some criminals will obviously take advantage,” he said.
During the marches their customers were scared to come and buy from them, he added.
Kekana said the informal traders’ forum sometimes informed them about upcoming marches. “There are times when these marches take us by surprise, but sometimes we are forewarned by the police,” he said.
Another trader, Anna Ngomane, said protesters looted all her stock of fruit and sweets during the recent march by pupils.
She said it cost her R600 to buy new stock. “The police stay away when the situation turns too ugly, leaving us helpless,” she said. She is the breadwinner for her two grandchildren.
John Mahlangu said he fought off violent pupils who looted his stock and scattered some of it on the ground last week. He said he was still recovering from injuries he sustained. The pain worsened two days after the march, forcing him to consult a doctor. “I had to pay R400 for a consultation and medication, but now I am recuperating very well,” he said. He threw away some of the stock after it was damaged by pupils who trampled it.
Musa Molla, a Bangladeshi shop owner, said the only thing that kept him safe from the uncontrollable crowds was locking up his shop.
According to him, police warned traders to pack up and leave or lock up their shops. “Sadly my brother was not lucky, he lost goods worth up to R10 000,” said Molla.
Tshwane metro police spokes-man Senior Superintendent Isaac Mahamba said he could not put a figure to their policing operations during the marches.
Pretoria News