Beloved Stellenbosch market shuts doors for good
The popular Dorp Street Sunday Market recently announced that it will be shutting down for good. Here are the details…
Dorp Street Market closes down
The beloved winelands Dorp Street Sunday Market has announced its’ unfortunate closure, following many months of administrative hurdles with Stellenbosch Municipality.
As reported by Cape Town Etc, the market team revealed on its’ social media platforms on Tuesday, 18 March, that the market would be closing down.
“As you may recall, we announced our return in December 2024, but unfortunately, we have faced numerous challenges since then. Despite getting our application approved 3 months ago, the events committee of Stellenbosch Municipality has refused to give us their approval for our 2025 application which is a duplicate of the 2024 application which we were approved on.” Dorp Street Sunday Market organisers wrote on Instagram.
Adding to their argument, the organisers revealed that:
- The only difference in the application is the updated dates for 2025
- There is a two-month gap between their 2024 and 2025 application, without having received any written complaints from any Municipality department
- There was zero changes in the events by-laws during this time
Swimming in red tape
The organisers of the market also added that the team had basically been swimming in red tape and have faced many roadblocks from other departments and individuals within the municipality.
“We’ve done everything possible and knocked on the door of numerous departments, yet we still get turned down around every corner,” the Dorp Street Sunday Market team said.
“We are disappointed that despite our efforts, politics and the need for power have once again hindered us from providing a platform for local businesses and ultimately creating more jobs,” the organisers added.
Were you a frequent visitor at the Dorp Street Market?
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