Forces clamp down on Hillbrow
2003-06-13 21:32
Johannesburg - Police, Metro police and about 200 municipal "red ants" operatives converged on Hillbrow on Friday night in a combined force clean-up operation, the Metro police's Chief Superintendent Wayne Minnaar said.
"This is an on-going campaign to preserve law enforcement, especially the city by-laws," said Minnaar.
"Although our mandate is broad we will concentrate on removing illegal structures put up by hawkers."
The operation was set to continue through the night and possibly through the long weekend, Minnaar said.
On Thursday night the force moved to the western suburbs of Johannesburg around Vrededorp, Mayfair, Fordsburg and Reuven.
Minnaar said: "We began at 18:00 and ended at 06:00 and in that time we served 19 summonses for contravention of health by-laws, closed down four taverns, shebeens or bars and pulled down 70 illegal structures."
According to the Johannesburg city by-laws hawkers' temporary kiosks may not be built near ATM booths or in front of shop windows, places of worship or government buildings.
Minnaar said any structure put up within five metres of a traffic signal or near a bus stop was also illegal and would be demolished.
- SAPA