A tricky patch: Pretoria resident awaits wrath of law for growing vegetables on pavement

Djo BaNkuna, a resident of Theresa Park in Pretoria North, says that last Thursday he was threatened with arrest by Tshwane metro police officers for planting vegetables on his pavement instead of grass, flowers or trees. 

BaNkuna says the police threatened: “If you don’t remove this garden by Tuesday [14 September] we have to unleash the law on you.” 

He suspects some residents had reported to the metro police that the garden attracts vagrants to whom he gives food when he has a surplus. 

BaNkuna told Maverick Citizen that ever since he started the garden he has only had compliments from neighbours and passersby. 

On Thursday, he says, “I was sitting here working from home. A police van with two armed metro police stopped at my gate to tell me that planting vegetables on my pavement was not allowed. I thought they were joking, but they emphasised how serious this offence was and that the pavement is municipal land and I can’t plant vegetables.”  

BaNkuna says the metro police further gave him three options to choose from:

• Seek permission from the city council to plant vegetables on the pavement;


• Remove all produce from the land and never plant any vegetables on the pavement again; or


• Plant grass and roses.