Illegal mechanics still plague the city

Since 2013,Nelspruit Post has been reporting on the “Bester street mechanics” group . In October that year, the paper paid a visit to downtown Mbombela – an area plagued by illegal informal businesses, hawkers and, according to the police, drug merchants.

Mbombela Local Municipality tried to remove the mechanics out of the city, but to no avail. Those who were removed from one area would simply move to another.

In March 2016 the paper reported that the mechanics had moved along Bester Street until they reached the spot they are now operating at – the portion of the street that runs parallel to Timmerhout Street.

The patch of land they now occupy borders the train track. It belongs to Transnet. The municipality, and not Transnet, is responsible for implementing trading by-laws in this area – something that residents allege is not being done effectively, despite the fact that the mechanics were issued with legal notices ordering them to vacate the premises last year.

More than a year later, Nelspruit Post paid a visit to the spot they were ordered to leave in 2016.

An anonymous businessman mentioned that they lack proper sanitation facilities – there seem to be no toilets or access to clean drinking water. According to the source, groups gather there to party and consume alcohol, which adds a new dimension to the problem.

A large number of alcoholoc beverage bottles were scattered on the embankment between the street and the train track. According to a source, this was a visual testimony to what has been going on there.

The City of Mbombela Local Municipality’s spokesman, Joseph Ngala, had previously promised that action would be taken to deal with the problem. More than a year later, nothing has been done.The newspaper phoned Ngala for comment on Tuesday. At the time of going to press, he could not be reached.