By Everson Luhanga
- The City of Johannesburg says the Dunusa market broke by-laws and has turned the site over to taxi operators.
- Traders who sold second-hand clothes there for years say they’ve lost their only income and have nowhere to go.
For decades, the Dunusa market was more than just a street corner. It was a part of Johannesburg’s heartbeat.
Every day, crowds filled De Villiers Street between Park Station and the Noord taxi rank, searching through piles of second-hand clothes for hidden bargains. The name “Dunusa”, meaning “bend and choose”, captured the spirit of the market perfectly.
From shirts and jackets to dresses and underwear, Dunusa offered everything for as little as R5. Traders bought bales of used clothes, often imported, and sold them to the public. For many low-income families, it was the only way to dress decently.
Now, it’s gone. The City of Johannesburg shut the market down, saying it broke city by-laws and occupied the space illegally. The area is now being used by taxi operators.
Executive Mayor Dada Morero said the move is part of a wider effort to clean up the inner city. “Illegal trading and unsafe structures cannot continue,” he said.
But for the hundreds of vendors who made a living there, the closure has been devastating. “I have sold clothes here for 12 years,” said one trader. “Now we have nowhere to go.”
The loss goes beyond the traders. Thousands of shoppers from across Gauteng, and even Kwa-Thema and Ekurhuleni, used to visit Dunusa for cheap fashion.
Experts say informal markets like Dunusa play a vital role in recycling clothes, creating jobs and keeping prices low. Closing them without alternatives risks pushing people into deeper poverty.
Pictured above: The now-empty De Villiers Street taxi area, once home to Dunusa market.
Image source: Supplied
