No tolerance for illegal businesses

Young’s main concern with illegal businesses is that they place a burden on the city’s resources, and she believes the city council needed to make business owners accountable.

She pointed out that businesses operating without consent use and building without approval from the city council was rife, not only in her ward but throughout the city, and that she is putting pressure on city council officials to take action against three such businesses in her ward.

While business owners complained that the city council took a long time to sign off applications, Young countered that their activity was illegal and they must follow due process regardless.

“Businesses which operate without consent put a burden on the city’s infrastructure, especially when running a business in a residential area as they are paying residential rates but put more pressure on the roads, sewer lines and electricity supply than a residential establishment would, so the city loses out on money,” said Young.

Spokesperson for the city council Nthatisi Modingoane agreed with Young.

“Illegal land users are not good for the city as they do not only exploit the city’s resources but also impact on urban decay, crime, and environmental health hazards, among other things,” said Modingoane. “The city’s department issues notices to the property owners, advising them to stop the contravention, failing which the matter is referred to the city’s attorneys for legal action, to get an order of court compelling the owner to cease operations.”

While Young awaits court action against the illegal businesses in her ward, she raised concern that the city council did not have the resources to follow-through with legal action. However, Modingoane said there was the capacity for the city to prosecute matters and pointed to processes such as the Joburg 10Plus Programme, working with regional inspectors and conducting joint legal prosecutions to intervene in matters of building control, fire and health.

Young has highlighted the businesses operating without consent use and building rights’ issues at Ward 112’s Joburg 10Plus meetings and followed up with city officials.

Young added that business owners did not have the excuse that they do not know what due processes to follow, as the documentation is available on her website.

Modingoane also said that the city council engaged communities in workshops, outreach programmes and meetings to teach them which processes to follow to establish and formalise a business.

Details: Ward 112 website, www.ward112.co.za