Only 30 police officers will be patrolling Grahamstown during the National Arts Festival this year, which could mean little or no enforcement of trading-related by-laws.
Only 30 police officers will be patrolling Grahamstown during the National Arts Festival this year, which could mean little or no enforcement of trading-related by-laws.
Earlier this year, the Village Green committee, the National Arts Festival committee and a committee made up of a concerned group of High Street business people met to discuss the banning of street trading on High Street.
However, the municipality felt that this action was both unrealistic and too drastic so a three-year, gradual cessation of trading was proposed.
It was therefore decided that this year, trading has been permitted between Church Square and the top end of upper High Street as far as the Albany Club. No more than 22 demarceated areas for trading will be allowed.
However, the main problem remains with the informal traders on the lower end of High Street (near the old railway station) and how the local trading by-laws will be enforced.
Previously it was understood that the local police would enforce the by-laws and prevent traders from setting up stalls wherever they please.
At a meeting called by business people at City Hall on 26 April, Colonel Frank de Vis of the Grahamstown police station said that enforcing such by-laws is not the main function of the police as it is not considered as a “serious crime”.
De Vis believes that trading in prohibited areas is not an “arrestable” offence and they are therefore not prepared to remove the traders from undemarcated areas.
De Vis also indicated that only 30 police officers would be patrolling Grahamstown during Festival this
year with no mounted police or air surveillance as security at the Fifa Soccer World Cup is of primary concern.
Traffic Chief of Makana, Coenraad Hanekom, who was the chairman at the meeting, voiced his concern at the idea of moving possibly hostile traders from their locations especially as, in his department, only three officers would be available at any one time.
This brings into question how safe this year’s National Arts Festival will be and caused an outcry from some of the businesspeople.
De Vis says an effort has been made to prevent illegal activities such as sleeping in the streets or using the streets for ablution purposes.
De Vis proposed another committee be formed, headed by businessman Eugene Repinz, to ensure that this does do not occur.
According to Advocate Izak Smuts, the committee was formed as a result of the “lawlessness" which accompanied informal trading last year.
"Our purpose here was to deal with all the complications that arose from the complete absence of law-enforcement last year. What does appear possible this year is that the law, in the form of municipal bylaws and other statutory and common law provisions, will not be ignored as in the past.”
The law enforcement committee will also prevent High Street business people from entering into land space agreements involving illegal payments with traders as this will undermine the by-law.
However, the fact remains that if the police themselves do not enforce the law, little headway is expected to be made in reaching a final agreement on High Street trading.
