Pretoria - Officers from the Joburg Metro Police Department (JMPD) have impounded cow heads (inhloko), cooked meat and pots in a blitz aimed at enforcing informal trading by-laws.
JMPD spokesperson Xolani Fihla said officers from the by-laws management unit were enforcing informal trading by-laws at Randshow and Nasrec Road in Nasrec.
“Any person who intends to carry on a business as an informal trader may apply to the Council in the prescribed manner for a lease or allocation of a stand,” said Fihla.
“No person shall carry on the business of an informal trader at a place or in an area declared as a place or area in which informal trading is prohibited or restricted.
“Authorised officials may remove and impound any property of an informal trader that they reasonably suspect is being used or which is intended to be used or has been used for or in connection with informal trading, and is found at a place where informal trading is restricted or prohibited, whether the trader has a permit or not,” said Fihla.
The JMPD, however, advised informal traders to take note of the name of the officials impounding their goods and the registration number of the vehicle used.
“If an informal trader feels in any way that they've been mistreated or their matter was unfairly handled, they can contact the JMPD internal affairs unit by calling the Anti-Corruption Hotline 0800 203 712, wherein members of the public can report any form of corruption and misconduct,” said Fihla.
“(The informal traders) can go directly to the JMPD Internal Affairs Unit office at Village Main Road and Loveday Street, Wemmer. A WhatsApp line 063 253 1928 has been introduced wherein the public may report any inappropriate acts by JMPD officials.”
Fihla highlighted that the City Council sets apart and demarcates stands or areas for informal trading on any public road, the ownership or management of which is vested in the Council or on any other property in the occupation and under the control of the Council.
IOL