A large number of mechanics openly perform illegal services next to the road or on a vacant piece of land. Business people in the area complained that this attracts criminal elements and also endangers the safety of the public and nearby businesses.
Nelspruit Community Police Forum’s (NCPF) deputy chairman, Mr John Meintjes, said the forum had raised the issue.
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“From the NCPF I would like to urge the town council to please address this problem as a matter of urgency,” he said.
City of Mbombela Local Municipality spokesman, Mr Joseph Ngala, said the municipality was aware of the illegal operations of the mechanics and that it would take action to deal with them.
Ngala said the municipality had previously issued the mechanics with legal notices, instructing them to vacate the area as they are operating illegally.
“At times the mechanics would operate from a private property, making it difficult for us to chase them away,” he said.
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He also added that the municipality would have to start confiscating the equipment belonging to the perpetrators because every time they get chased away they simply move to a new location.
Nelspruit Post has been reporting on these illegal mechanics since 2013.
According to Ngala, the municipality has tried to work with the police to have the mechanics removed but the latter could not assist because they were busy with operations. “Unfortunately we are not a metropolitan where our traffic officers can also double as police. We can only chase them away,” Ngala said.
Furthermore, business owners said the oil spills the mechanics pose a serious health risk. No health and safety regulations to operate a mechanical workshop are being implemented. The oil is simply dumped into storm-water drains.
