Street Sellers Struggle After Forced Relocation
For us as street sellers and mothers, making a living is incredibly tough. There’s never a guarantee that we’ll go home with money or even enough to support our families.
nnnnOur struggles worsened when we were removed from our market at Junction Mall in Hazyview by Mbombela Municipality and Twin City. That location was ideal, as it attracted overseas tourists who supported our businesses. The market itself was built for us by tourists, yet we were forced out.
nnnnTwin City tried to assist by giving each of us R5,000 and providing containers for our businesses. They also promised that we would be given a new space back at Junction Mall, near the car wash, but to this day, no one has followed up on that promise.
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A Difficult New Location
We were relocated to 4 Ways in Hazyview, but this area is far from where we used to operate. Most tourists don’t use this road or stop here, as it’s on the main road with little foot traffic.
Authorities also promised to put up a signboard to direct people to our new location with our business name, Phumulane Art and Crafts. They even assured us that they would officially register us, but that too never happened.
nnnnA Declining Community of Sellers
When we were removed, there were 16 of us. Now, only three sellers remain, as many have given up and stopped coming. The lack of customers and broken promises have made it impossible for them to continue.
A Shelter Built Through Kindness
The current shelter we use was built for us by the late Mr. Shengu Mabuza. He generously donated the money for building materials so we could have a space to work. Even today, we still operate from this market, holding onto hope that Mbombela Municipality will finally return to fulfill their promises.
A Plea for Action
We are calling on the municipality and those in power to honor their commitments. We need:
✅ A proper market space with good customer access.
✅ Recognition and official registration of our business.
✅ Signage to help direct customers to our location.
We do not want handouts—we just want the opportunity to earn an honest living and support our families, just as we did before we were forced out.
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