![](https://images.caxton.co.za/wp-content/uploads/sites/112/2015/05/church-shutdown-Medium.jpg)
Chiawelo residents’ petition, submitted to Johannesburg Metro Police Department got Unity Fellowship Church’s doors shut down.
The church has been in the area for five years.
According to JMPD, the church contravened with the City’s by-laws.
Portia Mpofu, resident said: “This was too much for us, the church had morning and night sessions, so at night we barely slept due to the noise and even in the morning we couldn’t enjoy the morning breeze due to noise of drums and singing from the church.”
Another resident, Thomas Mangwane said: “I’m a devoted Christian, but what was happening here was way out of our liking, some of the cars would park at our gates and block our driveways, so we had to complain.”
JMPD spokesperson, Wayne Minnaar said: “Our interest is to protect the City’s by-laws and make sure that no one does as they please.
“In this matter residents were complaining about noise pollution, we had to get the eviction letter from the court and shut it down complete.”
One of the security guards at the church who wished to remain anonymous said: “We only saw police coming in and telling us they came to close the church because of complaints from residents and the management said we must not talk to newspapers otherwise we would be fired.”