FCC Takes Action Against Illegal Vendors

ISAAC PINIELO
Correspondent | Monday October 26, 2009 00:00

The council's senior public relations officer, Priscilla Gulubane said they are concerned by the many street vendors who either operate without licences or in illegal places.

'People with hawkers' licences are not expected sell in one place. They are expected to be moving around and those with vendors' licences have to be at one place that is stipulated in their licences,' she explained.

Gulubane said she is worried by some people who decide to operate in the mall while their licences stipulate that they should be outside.

She indicated that other people sell goods that are not listed in their licences.

She said at the moment, they have stopped issuing licences for people to operate in the mall because it is congested.

'If we find that a person is selling goods that are not stipulated in the licence, we confiscate them and charge that person,' she said.She denied allegations that the council only intensified its inspections after the elections, saying that people should not read political motives in the crackdown. 'We carry out these inspections regularly and we are governed by the law,' she explained.

Gulubane said people should not hesitate to come to the council with queries. She stated that the council has introduced a toll-free number for people to call them. The number is 0800 600 242. Previously, the council expressed concern at the mushrooming of street vendors saying they were contributing to the deteriorating aesthetic quality of the city environment.