Johannesburg high court sees spirited protest against crackdown on informal traders

Informal traders, predominantly migrants, rallied outside Johannesburg High Court on Friday opposing municipal evictions targeting unauthorized CBD vendors.

Clashes erupted between Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) supporters and rivals from the African National Congress (ANC) and ActionSA before the hearing – postponed to Monday – on the legality of the crackdown.

The Socio-Economic Rights Institute (SERI) contends the removals violate constitutional protections by displacing over 20,000 operators without alternative income avenues.

City Mayor Dada Morero defended the operations as critical for enforcing trade bylaws and curbing urban decay, stating: “Legal commerce cannot coexist with contraband markets.”

Tensions flared on De Villiers Street in the heart of the city on as a group of illegal Nigerian immigrants staged protests following their eviction for illegally trading on pavements.

Johannesburg Metropolitan Police arrested 91 undocumented foreign nationals during the protest confiscating goods including illicit cigarettes.

A Nigerian protester wearing EFF-branded apparel emerged as a focal point during demonstrations where migrants chanted: “We came to earn, not to play.”

ActionSA councillors backed the city’s stance, declaring: “Rule of law must prioritize South Africans in stall allocations.” Meanwhile, social media criticism targeted EFF leadership, with user Prof Moyo posting: “Malema’s party shields illegal foreigners – now a Nigerian in EFF gear threatens our city.”