Upgrading Langa's meat stalls: A boost for safety and local business
Councillor Lwazi Pakade explaining the project to some concerned residents.
Image: Phiri Cawe
Ward 51 councillor Lwazi Pakade with Rirhandzu Marivate, AfriFOODlinks project manager and Phumzile Yawa. The trio were happy to see construction happening at a fast pace.
Image: Phiri Cawe
Construction has started at near MaXhoseni hostels in Langa to upgrade the meat stalls, especially those who sell sheep heads. The heap of rubble is delaying the process.
Image: Phiri Cawe
A partnership between Ward 51 councillor Lwazi Pakade and the European-funded AfriFOODlinks project is aiming to improve conditions for informal meat traders in Langa by upgrading their trading spaces and supporting food safety compliance.
Informal meat stalls at the corner of Rhodes and Ndabeni Streets—popular for braaied meat and intloko (sheep heads)—have operated for more than two decades in poor conditions.
Mr Pakade visited the site last Monday with AfriFOODlinks project manager Rirhandzu Marivate to launch the upgrades.
“We are in the process of restarting the whole place and making it new. Their informal businesses should be taken care of. We are refurbishing the place. We are clearing up the dirt before rebuilding their stalls again. We have already brought stoves. Part of the plan is to have storage for them,” said Mr Pakade.
He said the area would be levelled and new stalls built, particularly as the location is a drawcard for tourists visiting Langa.
He said the traders have started trading a long time ago and deserve better treatment. He said he will continue to boost local businesses where he can. “These businesses are boosting the township economy. That is why we need to take care of them. After taking this rubble, we will start with levelling with concrete and cement. We will then build nice stalls and try to have storage for them too. Specifically, these ones are in tourist areas,” he said.
Ms Marivate said Langa is home to Cape Town’s largest informal meat market, and that the decision to focus on the area was driven by both its cultural and economic significance.
“They play a huge and significant role in the township while also being one of the main stakeholders that feed people here. We will also be doing training in business development and safety compliance to understand so that they actually better handle the food to make sure that they are trading well and how to meet certain standards,” she said.
She added that the team had focused on the ezintlokokweni area in particular because of the poor state of the space. “This place was damp,” she said. “We want to create a dignified space.”
Traders have welcomed the initiative, which includes rebuilding the stalls in a clean area, receiving new stoves and painting their selling places
They said they would ensure the upgraded facilities are maintained and secure.
At the moment, the area is being cleaned of rubbish.