It has been 7 months since the City of Johannesburg removed young street vendors from operating outside Pan Africa Mall in Alexandra. The operation started a few weeks before the G20 summit in Johannesburg. Most of the vendors who were removed were young people whose businesses were still new on the street. Because they did not have permits, the city said they were selling illegally. Now, these young entrepreneurs are complaining that the government has not placed them back on their spots so they can start selling again.

Bongani Mateta, a street vendor, said he was blocked from selling on the street. His stock got rotten at home and that cost him a lot of money. “We just want the government to give us permits, so that we can start selling because there are no jobs in South Africa. The youth are unemployed,” Mateta said. Some people are also complaining that the spots to sell have gone to foreigners and a few older South Africans. They say these people got permits more than ten years ago. This makes it harder for the youth, who are still beginners on the street. 

Takalani Mukwevho, a member of the street hawkers committee, said this is affecting the country’s unemployment rate because the youth are hit the hardest. “Young people start businesses without capital. When things go right, the government comes and ruin that. We’re not saying people must operate illegally, but the government must assist us to get these permits. Our families are now starving because we’re no longer able to get them food,” Mukwevho said.

This situation has had a negative impact on the youth of Alexandra. They are pleading with the government to help them get permits because the process is dragging. The youth feel like their voices are not heard enough and that they are more oppressed in this situation.