Tshwane market gears up for upgrades to Revive Business

The Tshwane metro is planning maintenance and upgrades work to the Tshwane fresh produce market in Marabastad to grow the business.

Metro spokesperson Lindela Mashigo said the metro will spend R10-million on investment in the 2022/23 financial year, R8-million of which will go towards the maintenance of the market.

Mashigo said residents and stakeholders could expect upgrades to the ripening center, a redesign of entrances, and exits, upgrades to public lights, perforated roller doors into the trading hall, and an installation of a 500kVA emergency generator.

“The return on our investment in these facilities is expected to be an increase in business coming to the market and improved service to stakeholders, mainly farmers and buyers,” said Mashigo.

He said the market would remain open during this work.

“Although disruptions are not expected, should they occur, an effort will be made to ensure such disruptions will not affect the market’s operations while renovations are underway.”

He said additional funding would be required to address all maintenance backlogs such as roof leaks, potholes, stormwater drainage, ablution facilities, and electricity reticulation systems.

Mashigo said the metro also wanted to combat the abuse of ablution facilities by visitors by contracting and deploying a cleaning service to monitor the ablution facilities.

He said this should discourage abuse of the facility.

“Access to some ablution facilities during off-peak periods will be restricted.”

The market has allegedly faced challenges in the past such as the failure to monitor produce deliveries, a lack of proper hygiene control, safety and security apart from poor infrastructure development and maintenance.

Recently the Competition Commission launched an inquiry following allegations of anti-competitive behavior against the market.

It was also alleged that the market faced financial problems, technical limitations to reaching accepted food safety levels, limited storage, and poor access to rail transportation.

DA Gauteng spokesperson on agriculture and rural development Ina Cilliers at the time said the challenges at the market were extremely concerning.

Cilliers said the DA had sight of dozens of correspondence from organizations such as the Institute of Markets Agents of SA, Fruit and Veg City, Pretoria Stall Holders Association, and others detailing their concerns about the market and offering their assistance to improve the conditions.

The market also did not have proper public toilet facilities.

“The toilets that are there are not properly maintained as there is sewage overflowing in the market on a daily basis. In addition, there are no proper security measures in place to monitor the activities that take place at the Tshwane Fresh Produce Market,” said Cilliers.

“Given the fact that there are no proper cold storage and ripening facilities at the market mean that fresh produce producers will be at the losing end as they will not be able to keep their produce fresh.”

Source: Pretoria Rekord