EMPD denies claims of burning hawkers’ stock
The EMPD has denied claims that its members along with Parks Department employees destroyed hawkers’ goods on Rondebult Road, Comet.
The group of hawkers who sell their goods next to the traffic light on the corner Pretoria and Rondebult roads, claim that metro employees set their goods on fire late last month without prior warning.
However, according to EMPD spokesperson Wilfred Kgasago, it has been established that the claims are untrue.
“On receiving those false claims, the precinct commander inspected the place where the remnants of their goodswere burnt – there was no evidence of a big-sized item/s being destroyed.
“All the confiscated items are at the Boksburg precinct where they can be claimed by the rightful owners,” says Kgasago.
Kgasago says that the Boksburg precinct has been in the past inundated with complaints regarding the hawkers plying their trade in Rondebult Road from Rietfontein up to Kingfisher roads.
“The complaints included erection of illegal structures, hawkers sitting at intersections and absence of ablution facilities, which result in a health hazard being created.
“Another factor is that littering by the hawkers results in the area of trade becoming an eye-sore. In short, these places are left in a shocking state on a daily basis.”
EMPD says the hawkers were given several warnings in the past to clean up their act or face the consequences.
“When it became clear that EMPD warnings fell on deaf ears, an operation clean-up was initiated. EMPD liaised with the Parks Department to provide trucks to remove the hawkers’ stuff,” says Kgasago.
Wellington Dube, one of the traders insists that they were not given any warning, and their more than R20 000 worth of goods were destroyed and others confiscated.
Some of the hawkers have recently returned to the area.
According to Kgasago, on July 23, the Boksburg precinct’s “Hawkers Unit” and members of the Parks Department, went out to confiscate hawker’s goods from the following places:
Rondebult and Pretoria roads:
At this intersection various wood panels, dog kennels and only two wooden table chairs were confiscated. The supervisor informed the hawkers that they must clean their business areas. The confiscated goods were booked in at the Boksburg precinct.
Rondebult and Comet roads:
At this intersection all the wooden panels, wood, tables were also confiscated and the whole area cleaned up. All the confiscated goods were booked-in at the Boksburg precinct.
Rondebult and Kingfisher roads:
At this intersection a canopy where a hawker was sleeping in and various trees and plants were also confiscated and booked in.
– @FanieBoksburg
