Durban — Heeding a call from city manager Musa Mbhele, metro police conducted a by-law enforcement operation on the uMngeni Road on Wednesday.
Deputy mayor and chairperson of the safety and emergency cluster, Zandile Myeni, and metro police spokesperson Colonel Boysie Zungu led the operation.
Myeni said the purpose was to ensure business compliance from illegal traders and to charge mechanics operating on pavements.
She added that they decided to focus on this operation because they wanted to enforce the by-laws in the city and end illegal activities.
As much as the City was open to business, guidelines should be followed and one had to have the equipment and permit to conduct business.
Myeni said they would be visiting other areas in the city as well as suburbs and townships to end illegal business activities.
“We are calling on those who have illegal businesses to register their businesses. We are saying that South Africans must come to our Small Enterprise Development Agency to get assistance with their small businesses. There are channels to follow, and we will not tolerate people who are doing business illegally in our city,” she said.
Zungu said the operation was important to end the repairing of vehicles on public roads.
In terms of the by-laws, it was not allowed because of the challenges it caused, leading to spillage of petrol on the streets and that could lead to accidents, especially for motorcycles.
“The deposition of oil also affects our infrastructure and blocks the drainage and motorists are also affected,” he said.
Gavin Mare, Car Spares Durban manager at uMngeni Road, said he was happy to see the police visibility and hoped it would be an ongoing operation in the city.
Phindile Gcaba, from Cato Crest, said that she was happy to see the police apprehending undocumented foreign nationals and hoped this would continue as she felt it would decrease drug use in the area.
A total of eight people were arrested during the raid.
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