FUEL HIKES – How has this affected the informal workers on the streets of Durban?

Sithulisile Moyo “On Monday, 4 July, the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy, which is responsible for confirming petrol price adjustments every month, confirmed new increases that will worsen the cost of living crisis for cash-strapped consumers. The price of 93 octane petrol will rise by R2.37 a litre and 95 octane by R2.57 a … Read more

Petty-Offence By-Laws are Part of the Problem in the Regulation of Informal Trading

Chloë Lead with Sithulisile Moyo Informal workers constitute a critical component of the city’s economic fabric, sustainability and development within the State. Thousands of informal workers operate in public spaces in Durban to earn decent livelihoods to support their dependants. This has alleviated poverty and economic hardships faced by families surviving far below the minimum … Read more

Informal Recycling within the city of Durban

Chloë Lead and Matthew Robbins When we arrive Sibongile Muthwa is putting on her gloves. She wears her safety boots, her hat is tightly fastened with a drawstring and her bottle of water sits snugly within her apron pocket. In front of her sits her cart, laden with all the strapping, rope and plastic bags … Read more

Informality and the Law: Narratives of informal workers in Warwick, Durban

Sithulisile Moyo PART 1: #narratives of an informal worker: Treat us with dignity    “They need to stop impounding our goods. Find other ways to harass us. Sondl’ imndeni ngalamatafula”.  It’s in the wee hours of the day at an informal settlement in Kwandengezi, MaNgcobo is busy preparing for the long day ahead working at … Read more

Licenses and Permit Moratorium for Informal Workers

Sithulisile Moyo Licenses and permits that expired between March 2020 and June 2021 will remain valid until 31 December 2022. Disaster Management Act, 2000; Directives Regarding Business Licenses and Trade Permits; Government Notice 615 of 2021 published in Government Gazette no. 44853 on the 15th of July 2021. COVID-19 crisis exposed the disparities and vulnerabilities experienced … Read more

Women recyclers taking care of the city

Misiwe Maphumulo and Sarah Heneck Recycling has a multitude of benefits; it protects the environment, saves the municipality money, and helps many people sustain their livelihoods. Let’s unpack this a little bit: Protecting the environment: Recyclable materials such as cardboard, paper, plastic, cans and glass that are not recycled either ends up as litter in … Read more

Law Seminar with informal workers: Closing the gap between law and justice

Sithulisile Moyo The ILO reported that around 2 billion people in the world work in the informal economy. That is more than 61% of the world’s economically active population. In South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, the informal employment ratio is well above 80%. In developed countries it is only around 18%. The informal economy  secures … Read more

Impact of the pandemic on informal workers in Durban: Stories from the street

Misiwe Maphumulo & Sarah Heneck A WIEGO-led COVID-19 Crisis and the Informal Economy survey was conducted in 12 cities worldwide, with the aim of assessing the impact of the pandemic on informal workers.  Asiye eTafuleni (AeT) surveyed 185 informal workers across three sectors in Durban, namely, waste pickers, market traders and street traders. The COVID-19 pandemic … Read more