Johannesburg’s Metropolitan Trading Company (MTC) has dismissed allegations of billing chaos and looting levelled at it by stall holders of the Bree Street Market on Monday.
This follows the protest closure of stalls at the market in the morning in a demand to see the MTC CEO to discuss a list of stall holders’ grievances.
The company is owned by the Johannesburg city council and administers the market.
The South African National Traders’ Alliance (Santa) accused the MTC of re-billing stallholders for money already paid, charging R30 for a receipt and looting traders’ stock on September 21.
Santa also accused staff of the MTC of taking bribes to rent stalls to drug dealers, while accusing legitimate traders of drug dealing.
MTC spokesperson Virgil James said: ”We must dismiss those allegations as unfounded.”
He said that following a meeting earlier this year, from July 1 all arrears had been written off and rentals reduced by 25%.
The only stalls being closed are those of people who are in arrears now.
An audit is being carried out to detect who is sub-letting their stall so that stall registration details can be changed, as sub-letting is not permitted.
The company denied involvement in drug dealing and charging R30 for a receipt.
But Santa disagreed with the denials, saying it has receipts to prove that people whose stalls are being shut have paid.
Spokesperson Edmund Elias said Santa was supposed to have a monthly meeting with the company, but this did not happen. It has 20 eyewitnesses to the looting incident, he said.
Chairperson Livingstone Mantanga said he can also prove that people had to pay R30 for a receipt.
James said the MTC’s CEO was not available to receive their memorandum of grievances on Monday.
A further meeting will be arranged between both parties to ”repeat and consolidate” what was discussed at the previous meeting where the two parties agreed on terms. — Sapa