Centre tenants petition against troubling car washers

Illegal car washers are making life miserable for a group of tenants of the Metropolitan Life Centre in the city.

A group of disgruntled tenants say they handed a petition to the Polokwane Municipality two weeks ago.

Part of the petition reads: “We, the lessees of shop premises at the Metropolitan Life Centre, hereby respectfully lodge a petition to the council to take action against the persons at the centre who are infringing on our right to peaceful and unhindered use of our leased premises”.

One of the tenants, who wish to stay annonymous, says the car washers use the parking facilities to wash the cars and splash dirty water on cars nearby in the parking lot. “They remove dusty mats from the cars that they wash and, as they dust those mats, it causes other cars to be dirtied,” says the tenant.

Another concerned tenant said buckets of dirty water were emptied onto the parking lot, making mud and inconveniencing customers.

“The loading zones and disability parking space is also used as washing facilities and the shopkeepers cannot load or offload their goods. The loading vehicles have to park in a no-loading zone and some of the tenants were issued traffic fines because of this.”

The car washers explained that washing cars was the only income they had to support their families and the parking area was an ideal place for them to operate.

Centre management did not want to comment on the matter because the parking area was municipal property and their responsibility.

Matshidiso Mothapo, assistant communication manager at the Polokwane Municipality, said the municipality was aware of the challenges with car washers.

“The overall approach from the municipality is to have the car washers organised in designated areas without inconveniencing motorists and other sectors of business in the city.

“The municipality has organised the car washers into groupings of cooperatives so that they can operate in a systematic and regulated manner,” said Mothapo.

He added that the municipality had identified a number of locations where washers will be relocated to.

“Engagement processes are ongoing on the matter through the municipality’s structures. Regarding the water usage, the municipality is informed that the car washers have an arrangement to draw water from one of the business operating from the centre.

“However the municipality is engaging with the car washers on the matter and also looking into possible means including supply where municipal sources may be involved.”

According to Mothapo, the municipality’s doors were always open. “We have to operate in a manner that all spheres of the local economy complement one another without stepping on others’ toes,” he said.