MBOMBELA – A total of 47 people were arrested as part of the SAPS and municipality’s by-law enforcement agency’s clean-up operation.
The clean-up operation started on Friday March 13, when a number of security agencies teamed up to rid the city of illegal vendors, vendors trading in illicit products and illegal foreign nationals.
They searched wetlands around the city as well as the market on Brown Street, where they found many illegal traders. This raid was met with anger by protesters who took to Henshall Street, burning tyres, pallets and dustbins in anger.
“We are literally cleaning the whole city,” said Mbombela SAPS spokesman, Capt Dawie Pretorius. “This operation, in conjuction with Mbombela Local Municipality’s (MLM) new by-law enforcement agency, will happen sporadically throughout the CBD from now on.” Mbombela SAPS and MLM’s by-law enforcement agency locked down on the market on Short Brown Street again on Monday, after which they moved to Anderson and Andrew streets.
For the rest of the week they inspected the taxi rank, bus terminal, the wetlands in Figtree Street in West Acres, the Pick n Pay Centre in Citrus Avenue, Van Rensburg Street near the civic centre, Brander and Ferreira streets, as well as the Mataffin area.
A total of 35 undocumented foreigners had been arrested since Monday, six were arrested for trading without a licence in the CBD, four for drinking in public, one for selling counterfeit goods and another for the possession of marijuana.
“We are happy that the raid was not
met with violence this time round.”
Pretorius urged vendors to register their stalls and products at the municipality to avoid being prosecuted. “MLM’s new by-law enforcement agency will now focus specifically on illegal trading,” he added.
