Durban – The eThekwini Municipality announced on its Facebook page that businesses who were trading without licences in uMlazi were issued with a R5000 fine on Tuesday.
The municipality said business owners were encouraged to apply for a trading permit and that they must have a waste management contract in place to avoid resorting to illegal dumping.
The city added that this formed part of Operation Good Hope which would be tackling service delivery challenges in uMlazi this week.
This was met with anger from residents who commented on the city’s Facebook page.
One Facebook user said: “Aaah no man. These people are just trying to make a living. It’s almost as if our government wants us to be poor,” to which the municipality replied: “You have been calling for the Municipality to enforce by-laws and that is exactly what we are doing.”
Another user said: “Hear me well, this is nonsense to the core. The Municipality can’t be fining people for trying to put food on the table. I’m saying this mainly because there are millions of shops owned by non-South Africans who are trading without licences in the city. This operation is just a money-spinning event and it’s dearly hitting hard on us, the poor and marginalised.”
Last month “The Mercury” reported that municipal officials had fined a food outlet in Pinetown for not complying with health standards during a clean-up campaign in the area.
“The Mother Of All Clean Ups continues in the heart of Pinetown, city officials inspecting informal traders’ spaces in Stanfield Avenue, Pinetown. They (are) focusing on cleanliness, compliance, and issues of safety. Metro police are also issuing fines to motorists who do not comply with the rules of the road,” it said.