North West MEC closes Potchefstroom businesses over Covid-19 rule violations

North West health MEC Madoda Sambatha ordered several shops in the province to close down due to non-compliance to Covid-19 regulations.

Sambatha has been travelling across the province checking businesses for compliance to regulations.

He took his campaign to Potchefstroom, where he raised awareness at the taxi rank, shopping complexes and other public places.

A store was ordered to close due to non-compliance to Covid-19 regulations. According to the MEC, the store was congested with patrons.

ALSO READ: Cops shut down nine businesses in Gauteng festive raids

“It disturbed me gravely that there was no compliance to Covid-19 observed by the customers, the shop owners and its employees. There is a was no sanitising done, the shop was extremely congested, no masks were used and to make matters worse, the owner openly told us that he told his employees, who work with food, do not to use masks,” said Sambatha.

The MEC further accused some business owners of being aggressive, insulting him, demanding that he leave their businesses and also threatened to beat him up because they “did not see anything wrong” with how they had been conducing their businesses.

The police were called to the scene to come and assist with closing the stores.

“I will continue to do these campaign drives to ensure compliance to Covid-19 regulations and to protect our people from infection. May it be known that we will not hesitate to shut down any business that is not compliant as we go along. Law enforcement officials will be asked to close down business and impose fines to those who are non-compliant,” said Sambatha

For more news your way, download The Citizen’s app for iOS and Android.