Implementation of regulatory by-laws in sustaining people’s livelihoods in the informal sector: A case study of the City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality, Gauteng Province

Abstract

This study sought to explore the implementation of regulatory by-laws and informal street trading policies in sustaining people’s livelihoods in the City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality in Gauteng Province. The study evolved out of the realisation that a significant number of people are making a living under precarious regulatory environment in the informal sector. The key themes of the study focused on regulatory by-laws, informal street trading policies and assessment of street traders’ knowledge of municipal by-laws. It also reflected on street traders’ livelihood vulnerability, strategies, resources and challenges they grapple with in their everyday livelihood activities in the inner city. The study adopted a mixed-methods research approach and case study research design to investigate the aims, objectives and research questions of the study. It combined quantitative and qualitative methodologies using both questionaries, semi-structure reviews and focus group discussions to collect data. Through extensive review of the prevailing literature, the study was aligned to four dominant schools of thought namely, dualist, structuralist, legalist and voluntarist theories. The assessment of various schools of thought placed the study within the Sustainable Livelihood approach. Although informal trading activity plays a critical role in sustaining people’s livelihoods, the thesis’s core argument demonstrates that the implementation of regulatory by-laws in the city is inconsistent, reactive and intolerant. The existing regulations have not created an enabling environment to improve street traders’ working conditions in the inner city. The findings revealed implementation problem and arbitrary enforcement of by-laws inhibit growth and sustainability of small-scale informal businesses in the city. Theoretically, the study makes important contribution to the body of knowledge and policy discourse on informal sector’s role in job creation and poverty alleviation in the city. It affirms the theory’s feasibility to comprehend people’s livelihood vulnerabilities, strategies and challenges. The study concludes and advocate for effective implementation and enforcement of by-laws to sustain people’s livelihoods. It recommends an all-inclusive approach and interventions to formalise, integrate and empower people operating small-scale informal businesses in the inner city. In this regard, the City of Tshwane can chart a promising path towards improving people’s livelihoods and creating inclusive local economy in the city