The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Tshwane welcomes the court’s decision in the matter brought by Al Madar General Trading (PTY) LTD in Mamelodi, which ordered that Tshwane allows Al Madar to continue doing business while compliance issues is resolved.
Al Madar approached the court for relief after their well-established Mamelodi business was shut down for what Tshwane claimed to have been compliance irregularities, the court found that the City of Tshwane cannot arbitrarily shut down legally operating businesses.
The ruling reaffirms a principle that the DA has long stood for: businesses must comply with regulations, but enforcement must be carried out in a way that protects livelihoods and supports the local economy, not destroys them. Heavy-handed closures do nothing but push more South Africans into poverty and unemployment.
This is why the DA tabled an urgent motion in Council on 31 July 2025, highlighting the devastating impact of sudden closures of markets and trading areas such as Marabastad. These markets are the backbone of both the formal and informal economy in Tshwane, sustaining thousands of families, many of whom have traded for generations.
We support compliance, safety, and regulation, but the City must adopt a balanced, supportive approach that enforces by-laws without undermining livelihoods. Traders need assistance to comply, not threats of closure.
The DA calls on the City of Tshwane to immediately change its methods of enforcement measures and to begin implementing the Council-backed approach of regulation through permits, clear guidelines, and support mechanisms.
During his tenure as Mayor DA Tshwane Mayoral Candidate, Cilliers Brink, embraced partnerships with businesses and non-governmental organisations. Such an approach is also needed here. A partnership model between government and traders is the only sustainable way forward. Law-abiding South Africans deserve a City that helps them trade legally and safely, rather than one that punishes them with closures and court battles