Businesses are suffering in Evander CBD

The continuous drug activity and homeless squatting in the CBD has left one of the last and longest remaining businessmen in Evander with no option but to put his businesses up for sale in the CBD Centre Point.

Drug deals and use in plain sight and the squatting of vagrants are doing great harm to businesses in the area that have been trading for years.

The biggest concern is that clients and the public do not feel safe.

They are either harassed for money or robbed of their possessions in the CBD.

According to businessmen, no one is taking ownership or action to find a permanent solution to this problem. They claim neither police nor the Govan Mbeki Municipality is enforcing the law and by-laws.

“It is now enough that taxpayers are suffering from loss of business, belongings and safety aspects.

“I have lost 53% of my turnover. Customers complain that these drug dealers and the homeless are harassing them.

“I have had two of my customers complain that they have had their breasts grabbed while another had her handbag snatched,” said a shop owner.

“I cannot handle this anymore; I am left with no choice but to put my business up for sale.”

Every effort to claim back the town by means of cleaning up or hosting a weekly weekend flea market has been in vain.

The Evander Ratepayers Association (ERPA) came up with the initiative to hold a flea market every weekend, in an attempt to bring feet back into the CBD.

This would mean more business would be brought into the CBD, assisting lower-income people and pensioners to earn a bit more money by displaying items to be sold and most importantly, bringing back a friendly and fun social environment for the community to be able to shop freely without fear.

However, this was stopped by GMM.

“We were told that each stall member would need to pay a fee of R350.

“We were also told that if we continue running the flea market, we would be arrested,” said ERPA’s Johanny Jagadis.

Businesses and the ERPA cannot understand the threats as there are vendors operating without licences in the CBD and at the taxi rank.

“Are the owners of these caravans trading legally? No! Do they have permits? No!”

Business owners and the ERPA said the CBD is for business and that squatting and drug deals do not belong in an area that is meant for business and the public.

The ERPA and businessmen said drug dealers and the homeless have full run of the CBD and that if businesses must continue to pay rates and taxes, then the drug dealers and squatters also have to cough up taxes and rent on spaces occupied with illegal shelters.

Other concerns raised are the taverns trading in the CBD, especially those in close proximity to the local library that is visited by many learners.

“We are all exposed to the fighting and stabbings happening in the CBD.

“How is it allowed for taverns to trade so close to public libraries and not far from a school?

“You can just imagine what our children are learning when they come to this library and are exposed to the taverns and drug activity.

“We see school children walking through the CBD on a daily basis buying their fix,” said a businessman.

He has to clean up urine, broken glass and worse every morning.

“These tavern owners need to take ownership and clean up,” said the businessman.

Any form of drug activity and squatting will just continue if serious action is not immediately taken.

The CBD, which is already becoming a ghost town, will eventually be completely abandoned and vandalised.

“These guys will never leave this place because you have a drug spot on one side and another on the other side. They don’t have to travel far. All they do all day is go watch a car or beg.

“Once they get their R2 or R5 they go to the drug spots and buy. And so they go on the whole day. We see it every day, every half an hour. You always see them hanging around.

“It is us, the businessmen who are paying rates, that are suffering. How much will GMM get rid of these drug dealers and squatters?” said the shop owner.

The businessmen said business is so bad in the CBD, that all the banks are gone.

Empty buildings are proof of the abandonment of banks and the post office.

“Don’t GMM think? They can’t even cut grass, they can’t do anything right!

“The only time they will catch a wakeup is when they have no more salaries.

“How can we trade when these guys are operating like this?

“The solution is that the council just need to do what is right,” said a businessman.

The ERPA has suggested that all the business owners in the CBD meet and come up with a permanent solution to this problem.

“We want to know from the ward councillors, GMM, law enforcement and police what are their plans for the CBD?

“Put your plans on the table and we will work with you and then we as the ERPA will come in and help,” said Jagadis.

“ We are looking at this as a long-term solution. We want our children to be able to use our library freely without being exposed to such criminal elements. We want our public to be able to shop freely without fear,” said Jagadis.

Businesses are at the point where they are considering a rate boycott.

“There will be no money left for salaries, and then maybe they will shape up,” said a shop keeper.