WATCH | 'It’s heartbreaking' - Enforcing the law vs trying to earn a living on the streets of Joburg

“It’s absolutely heartbreaking. I’m tired. Every day is a constant struggle in my life. I held my tears back so many times.”

These were the emotions expressed by Itumeleng Lekomanyane after officers from the Johannesburg metro police department confiscated his stock at the Bree Taxi Rank on Friday.

“These people just came up to me and didn’t say anything ... There were other street vendors here as well but they targeted me. They took my stock and don’t want to listen to me. I have an informal trading permit but they didn’t want to listen,” Lekomanyane told TimesLIVE.

JMPD spokesperson Wayne Minnaar said officers generally intervened when street vendors were trading within 5m of an intersection, causing an obstruction while trading on the pavement or near a sign prohibiting trading, in front of a government building or next to an ATM machine.

“Unfortunately officers will confiscate those traders' goods, which is standard procedure.  In this instance, the officers were just doing their work and [it was] not harassment as he calls it.”

The 27-year-old street vendor used his last R800 in August 2019 to start a sandwich business.

He first started selling sandwiches at a taxi rank in Johannesburg CBD and later moved to Bree Taxi Rank, Standard Bank corner and the SABC studios in Auckland Park.

Lekomanyane has about three stalls operating in the city. With the money he generates,  he pays employees, rent and supports his family.

He said that in the past month JMPD officers had taken his stock numerous times.

On Friday morning, stock worth R1,340 was confiscated, including sandwiches, scones, muffins and biscuits.

He was fined R1,700.

“I am very upset at the system. I am upset about everything right now. I’m tired of going through this every single week, of me having to start over and coming up with solutions.

“When I come up with solutions, everything just backfires. I am upset at the law- enforcement officers. The government must engage us and tell us what we should do when we want to trade and shouldn’t just come and take our stock,” he said.

“I will not give up, I will keep going. No-one can break me.”