Govt 'out of touch' with informal settlement reality

The latest draft bylaws governing the informal settlement economy have been labelled wishful thinking from a government out of touch with reality.

- Jarryd Westerdale

The Free Market Foundation gave an honest rebuke of the new bylaws drafted to regulate the informal settlement economy.

Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Velenkosini Hlabisa gazetted the draft last week in wake of the crisis plaguing the small-scale traders.

Tension over the role of foreign business owners, the quality of food sold at spaza shops and the enforcement of existing laws, has escalated with every reported food poisoning case.

Hlabisa's draft bylaws are aimed at boosting informal settlement economy, while placing a heavy emphasis on foreign ownership. The proposed regulations mirror many of the existing bylaws but mandate municipalities to establish a task team to determine their own unique economic needs.