Melville’s business node up for revamp

Melville’s business node is slated for a reboot over the next few months with upcoming inspections from City of Johannesburg officials charged with ensuring quality control.

According to ward councillor Amanda Forsythe, this is long overdue because, in order to protect patrons who visit the suburb’s bars and restaurants, various establishments need to be compliant with the regulations put in place by the municipality.

“There is no law enforcement in the area and that is a big issue. Whether from the police, Metro police, the Department of Environmental Health, the Liquor Regulatory Authorities and so on – if they were enforcing the law it wouldn’t be up to the councillor and residents to fight unlawfulness.”

She explained that noise levels often exceed the prescribed limit and some businesses keep loud music going into the morning. While the councillor admits that some establishments offering live DJs at very low noise levels could have been overlooked, other establishments that have taken it too far.

“There are others breaking the law and [they] have no regard for the residents or reputation of Melville,” she said.

According to Forsythe, this critical balance between the reputation of the suburb, the ambitions of the businesses, and the rule of law is pivotal to revamping the business node.

“I, as the councillor, am supportive of having a great atmosphere in Melville but it makes things difficult when some of the venues are not compliant. The point is not to destroy business and take customers away. If we can come to an agreement with the regional director and other interested parties then the relevant departments can come in, casually do their inspections, have a chat with the owner and be on their way. The important thing is to ensure that the venues are encouraging responsible practices.”

Details: Amanda Forsythe, aforsythe@mweb.co.za