Staff Reporter
The City of Tshwane, through its Local Economic Development Department teamed up with women in the informal sector business to celebrate Women’s Month on Friday, 7 August 2015.
The event attended by Mayor Sputla Kgosientso Ramokgopa was held at Metro Police Head Quarters in Pretoria.
Under the theme “Make It Happen for Basadi ba Tshwane: Building the Legacy of Woman in Leadership for Micro 
Enterprise”, the City targeted 200 women in the informal sector to celebrate the role they play as mothers and providers. The celebration was also a platform to encourage the women to become commercially viable and sustainable in order to contribute to the social and economic development of their local communities.
Mayor Ramikgopa said the informal trading sector was regarded as an abomination and informal traders were treated with benign neglect at best and outright hostility at worst. In spite of all that, this sector continued to play an important role in the economy of the country. He said it will be a disservice to democracy for the Capital City not to take cognizance of the role played by the informal sector, particularly women in its growth and development objectives.
Mr Blessing Manale, Executive Head of Public Affairs, Media Relations and Mayoral Spokesperson, said the City has adopted a move from a culture of informal trade persecution to that of development which aims to accommodate and promote economic activities of this sector.
Pics: City Of Tshwane
