Following yesterday’s meeting, where the Booysens community raised concerns over overcrowded shops and bylaw violations on Beaumont Street, authorities acted today to enforce compliance.

JMPD, CRUM, and residents shut down several non-compliant businesses along the 800m stretch, aiming to restore safety, cleanliness, and order in the area.

@southern.courierFollowing yesterday’s meeting over congestion and bylaw violations, JMPD, CRUM, and residents closed several businesses along the 800m street to restore safety, cleanliness, and order. Full story on southerncourier.co.za♬ original sound – Southern Courier

The move comes after residents and Booysens Crime Prevention urged shop owners to adhere to city regulations, highlighting ongoing frustrations over congestion, illegal trading, and safety hazards.

@southern.courierFollowing yesterday’s meeting over congestion and bylaw violations, JMPD, CRUM, and residents closed several businesses along the 800m street to restore safety, cleanliness, and order. Full story on southerncourier.co.za

♬ original sound – Southern Courier

Booysens residents demand order on overcrowded Beaumont Street

The Booysens community wants to reclaim Beaumont Street, which has a notable number of Somali and Ethiopian-owned businesses.

There are about 80 shops along the 800m-long street. Recently, the City of Johannesburg (CoJ), together with other stakeholders, conducted an operation during which some shop owners were fined and several shops were closed for non-compliance.

During a meeting on November 3, Sipho Shabalala from Booysens Crime Prevention (BCP) emphasised that everyone must comply with the city’s bylaws.

@southern.courierThere are about 80 shops along the 800m-long street. Recently, the City of Johannesburg (CoJ), together with other stakeholders, conducted an operation during which some shop owners were fined and several shops were closed for non-compliance. Full story on southerncourier.co.za♬ original sound – Southern Courier

“The community is fed up with this situation. People just build as they wish. This is a residential area; however, it has turned into a business area. The street is congested, with cars parked everywhere, as there are restaurants, retail shops, and supermarkets. This is unacceptable,” he said.

With cars lining both sides of the street, it is difficult for motorists to observe safety, as some park in blind spots. The residents complained about frequent accidents.

Cleanliness is also a problem, with litter on almost every corner. Substations often trip because they were never upgraded to handle the increased load from businesses.

“We had a meeting with these shop owners and urged them to comply. However, some did not adhere to what was agreed upon and have reopened shops that were previously closed by the city,” he said.

Another BCP member, Steven Ndlovu, reiterated that the area is residential and must remain so until it is officially rezoned.

Shop owner Fiker Abate, who trades at the corner of Beaumont and Chambers streets, said they sympathise with the community.

@southern.courierShop owner Fiker Abate, who trades at the corner of Beaumont and Chambers streets, said they sympathise with the community. “We hear what the community is saying; therefore, we’ve elected a committee that will deal with this problem and liaise with the community. We are willing to fix this and want to work with them,” he said. Full story on southerncourier.co.za♬ original sound – Southern Courier

“We hear what the community is saying; therefore, we’ve elected a committee that will deal with this problem and liaise with the community. We are willing to fix this and want to work with them,” he said.

“We admit we made a lot of mistakes and caused damage. With this new committee, we are prepared to focus on improving cleanliness, safety, and security. We are going to hire people from the community to patrol the area, and we are willing to pay them.”Shop owners were urged not to reopen the closed shops until further communication from the authorities and to follow the rules at all times.