This was a combined operation between White River SAPS and the Mbombela Local Municipality to enforce by-laws and ensure businesses and hawkers had the correct operating licenses.
Over lunchtime there were quite a few closed doors and packed-up hawkers stalls to be seen in the central business district and especially the town’s main street.
According to local business owners who operate close to Shoprite, police and the municipality conduct similar operations focused on hawkers on a monthly basis. “The ones without a license are smart, they have runners,” one commented. “They close up shop just before police arrive and then disappear, only to reappear after police have gone. The only way to stop this from happening is to remove the stalls completely, load it on a bakkie and take it away. Maybe then they’ll stop coming back.”
Further information regarding the operation will be available once it has concluded and a report has been compiled.
