Durban - Informal traders will not be “frozen” out when catalyst projects are being implemented in the city.
This was according to the chairperson of the Economic Development and Planning Committee in eThekwini Municipality, councillor Thembo Ntuli, who gave the assurance while briefing the public on the city’s ongoing implementation of catalyst projects.
He was speaking on the city’s online platform called eThekwini Matters. Asked about whether those who are part of the informal economy will be considered when the catalyst projects are launched, Ntuli answered in the affirmative.
He said once the projects were completed, they would then set aside a place for those people who were in the informal economy to trade.
“Once we have completed the project, we will then come up with a plan to ensure that a place is built specifically for them (to trade). We don't want a situation where if they are trading, they end up putting trading tables in a disorganised manner. We are going to do something to ensure that when they come there is a place where they can be assisted,” said the chairperson.
Ntuli said that in one of the malls that was under construction in the city, they had reserved a piece of land “where we could do what we want to do to assist the informal economy”.
He said it was important for communities to benefit from catalyst projects as very often communities saw the catalyst projects as something that was of no material use to them.
“It is therefore important to us as the committee that deals with economic development that we explain to the community that when we undertake these projects there are youth, women and people living with disabilities who should benefit from such development,” he said.