Johannesburg Mayor Dada Morero has issued a stern warning to informal traders who were removed from De Villiers Street, urging them not to return to their trading spots while legal proceedings over the city’s CBD clean-up campaign continue.
The warning came after the Johannesburg High Court on Friday postponed deliberations in a case brought by the Socio-Economic Rights Institute (SERI) against the City of Johannesburg. SERI alleges that the city’s operation, led by Morero himself, has displaced vulnerable informal traders and destroyed livelihoods — an accusation the metro strongly denies.
Morero told hundreds of residents gathered outside the court that the city had submitted its proposals during the day-long mediation session but that no agreement was reached. The court postponed the matter to Monday to allow further discussions.
“We have been trying to reason with them and have already submitted our proposals as the city to the court, but we could not find each other on many of the issues,” Morero said.
The mayor appealed for calm and compliance ahead of Monday’s court session, warning traders not to attempt to reclaim their spaces over the weekend.
“Yes, we are coming back on Monday and hopefully we can find each other. In the meantime, we must all continue being law-abiding residents who keep their city clean. People should not get temptations to return to Dunuza over the weekend — don’t dare us,” Morero cautioned.
The city’s clean-up drive has transformed De Villiers Street, long known as “Dunuza” for its bustling second-hand clothing market where shoppers would “bend over” to sift through piles of thrift items. The municipality has cleared the area, opened pedestrian walkways, and even planted new trees.
However, SERI and traders—many of whom are foreign nationals—oppose the city’s proposed verification process, arguing it could lead to harassment, detention, or deportation of undocumented traders. NGOs involved in importing donated clothing from Europe have also come under scrutiny, with many of those items ending up for sale on De Villiers Street.
Outside court, tensions ran high as EFF-aligned traders demonstrated in support of SERI, while ANC, ActionSA, and Patriotic Alliance members rallied behind the mayor. Police were deployed to prevent clashes between the rival groups.
The case underscores the broader challenge facing Johannesburg’s leadership — balancing urban renewal and public order with the livelihoods of the city’s informal traders, many of whom represent the poorest and most vulnerable residents.