Twitter up in arms after sandwich entrepreneur’s goods confiscated by the Metro Police

A feel-good story of Itumeleng Lekomamyane, a young entrepreneur who started a self-sustaining business of selling sandwiches in the Joburg CBD, took a turn for the worse when his goods were confiscated by Metro police on 6 February.

Lekomamyane started his business, Sandwich Nton Ntons, after he struggled to find a job and as a parent he needed to make a living, not only for himself, but for his daughter too. He started making sandwiches for a living and in just a couple of months, his business grew into a R20 000 a month venture. This after starting with just R800.

The story was first published in Business Insider and Lekomamyane became the talk of Twitter:

https://twitter.com/GMadimane/status/1225318711407587328

I love stories like these… Substance and reallness

— Xavier_Zulu (@Xavier_Zulu) February 6, 2020

I love stories like these… Substance and reallness

— Xavier_Zulu (@Xavier_Zulu) February 6, 2020

I love stories like these… Substance and reallness

— Xavier_Zulu (@Xavier_Zulu) February 6, 2020

But just a day after the story was published, Lekomamyane informed users on Twitter that his stock had been taken by Metro police and he was ordered to pay R1 600 to get it back, adding that this was unfair considering the stock would be spoilt by then.

I'm upset the @JoburgMPD took Lindokuhles stock by Standard bank all of it and we are told to pay R1600 to get it back which is just a ridiculous amount for spoilt stock and @CityofJoburgZA told me they only issuing permits this year late March because Herman Mashaba resigned https://t.co/P1KKDmZW3x

— Itumeleng Lekomanyane (@sandwich_kiing) February 6, 2020

Metro police spokesperson Chief Superintendent Wayne Minnaar said the officers were in their right to confiscate the goods. “The entrepreneur’s goods were confiscated because he was in contravention of the City’s bylaws,” he said. “The bylaws are in place for the city to be able to run effectively without obstruction to pavements and intersections.”

Minnaar explained that Lekomamyane‘s goods were confiscated because he was trading within 5m of an intersection and there was a possibility that he did not have a licence to trade as well.

He said it was important that entrepreneurs get acquainted with the City’s bylaws before starting their businesses or embarking on trading.

Lekomamyane said he would learn from this and solider on:

I learn something every day in business,I've dusted myself off and as I soldier on I'm ready for what tomorrow brings. https://t.co/5Xpt5kZO21

— Itumeleng Lekomanyane (@sandwich_kiing) February 6, 2020

Related articles:

https://northeasterntribune.co.za/250508/r36-million-counterfeit-goods-confiscated-joburg-cbd/

https://northeasterntribune.co.za/203103/city-seeks-public-comment-on-new-outdoor-ad-bylaws/