Local SAPS have undertaken to interact with the relevant stakeholders in order to reach a permanent solution for Anderson Street. The street has become known for prostitution, drug dealing and robberies occurring almost on a daily basis.

Lowvelder reported last week how business owners were growing concerned about the increase in crime in the area, and that it was affecting their business.

A group of 27 stakeholders emailed a petition to the Nelspruit Police Station, which demanded swift action against the
criminal activities.

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The station commander, Brig Prince Hlupheka Ngobeni, requested that people with information contact them on the tollfree number on 086-001-0111. Community members had loads to say about the situation on social media.

Adnaan Rodriguez: Unfortunately the street has become neglected by government. I work in this ‘Little Lagos’ Street,I see lots of opportunities for growth. Unfortunately it is the people in high power that allow whatever is going on to happen. You even find the policemen leaving their personal cars to get washed in the streets by the drug addicts. So, bottom line, the higher authority has to be blamed for neglecting this street.

Nicky Paterson: Due to all the buildings that are not maintained by the property owners to begin with, they have
basically invited that sort of criminal element in and now we have a big problem! The police are well aware of where the drugs are being sold, but they are very likely complicit.

Msesi Elsie: Very sad, our beautiful town turned to be a foreign land. Even scared to go through that street.

Gretha Botma: This should be a job for law enforcement, however, as this service is non-existent, null and void, crime soars and escalates on a daily basis.

Humble Sfiso: A lot of police officers are also drug dealers and they are working with Nigerians.

Ibrahim Phiri: Some of you guys are coming up with negative comments, we do not need that. All we need is to stand up as citizens of Mbombela and fight for our city.

Sara Kay: As a community we need to write a petition to the mayor to raid the buildings and arrest all those illegal immigrants who took over our CBD. Complaining on Facebook will not help. Look what is happening in Jozi CBD. Herman Mashaba is on a mission to clean up. We need to show the mayor that we mean business. Ekukhanyeni centre is filled with Nigerians who are selling drugs and other illegal stuff. It is our Nelspruit. Why do we allow these foreigners to take over? We do not go to their countries and open shops and little markets because they have strict rules there.

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But South Africa is a country of chances with no strict border controls. Pakistanis and Somalians have shops all over the country. They do not pay tax, they do not contribute to our GDP and that weakens our economy, leading to retrenchments. They take the money back to their countries. Nigerians are feeding our youth with drugs and alcohol, damaging their minds so they can take over our country.

We have been allowing this for so long. It is time for us to stand together and clean up our cities. A few weeks ago in Soweto, they looted all foreign-owned shops and chased them away.  It is time we took our premier and mayor to task.

Martin Schoeman: All people complain about Nigerians and Moz people opening shops and selling cheap sh#t and taking other people’s jobs, but still they do not assist with handling the buggers selling drugs to all of our kids and stealing everything they can.

That is why most shops moved to Riverside Industrial Area and Mall, to have a safer place for their clients, so now building owners do not get decent people to rent their buildings downtown and this is where the sh#t hit the fan.

All these Moz and Nigerian people are renting down there for cheap so that they can run their drugs and guns, and smuggle from there.