Pretoria - The Gauteng High Court, Pretoria has ordered the City of Tshwane to fulfil its official duties by implementing a precinct plan for the maintenance of the Tshwane Fresh Produce Market at a cost of R18 million.
The Institute of Market Agents of South Africa (Imasa) had approached the court, claiming it had for years been liaising with the City to address, “the critically dysfunctional state” of the market without success.
On October 31, Judge Shereen Meersingh issued an order to the municipality to submit a precinct plan to address the occupational health and safety, financial, and quality management of the market, and details of its implementation.
A joint statement by Agri-SA and Imasa said “The only option available was a mandamus process” to force the City to perform its duty.
“That this order had to be issued by the court is an indictment of the neglect of the market by the authorities in Tshwane,” they said.
The City was also ordered to pay Imasa’s cost of the application.
The order was made last week in spite of the metro already allocating a budget of R18m for the 2022/23 financial year towards the maintenance and upgrading of the market.
The City’s Economic Development and Spatial Planning Department recently acknowledged that the market had suffered infrastructure and maintenance challenges, making it less appealing to some farmers and buyers.
“To lend our support, in the recently approved budget for the 2022/23 financial year, the City allocated R8m towards the maintenance of the market. An additional allocation of R10m will go towards upgrading and extending market facilities. Combined, the City is investing R18m to support and upgrade the Tshwane Fresh Produce Market,” the City said.
The budget, according to the City, would be used for upgrading the ripening centre, redesigning market entrances, exits and associated works, upgrading market public lights, upgrading perforated market trading hall roller doors, and installing and commissioning a 500 kVA emergency generator
Repair and maintenance work would focus on roof leaks, potholes, drains, lights, electricity reticulation systems, ablution facilities, market platform surfaces and cold storage plant.
“Our implementation of infrastructure upgrades and maintenance is expected to result in an increase in business coming to the market and an improved service to stakeholders, in particular farmers and buyers,” the city said.
According to the City, the market serves approximately 6 800 producers from all over South Africa and neighbouring countries on any given trading day.
“In addition, over 5 000 clients visit the market, providing employment opportunities to about 1 000 people in the various business enterprises located within the market facility,” the City said.
It further said that during the 2020/21 financial year, the produce market had a turnover of R3,7 billion through produce sales and accounted for 21.5% of the market share, making it the second favourite market in South Africa.
Pretoria News