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By Zainul Dawood 
3h ago
Durban – ISIPINGO business owners are crying badly after being slapped with heavy fines for allegedly littering in the CBD.
The president of the Isipingo Business Forum, Junaid Iqbal, said that the Durban Metro police considered them easy targets. Iqbal said there is a fine line between store owners and informal merchants fighting for space on the sidewalk.
“These fines have left us stressed. I’m not sure why they attack us when we comply with all regulations and pay our fees. However, informal traders have no obstacles. There is no evidence that store owners are littering the sidewalks. Why would we want to trade dirt? Other businesses, especially public transport, are violating the statutes in front of the police, but nothing happens. There are also no containers in the CBD, ”Iqbal said.
Rodney Naidoo of Redbro Liquors said the fines for R5000 were ridiculous. Naidoo said he was speechless. He called on companies to come together as one voice to expose what he called corrupt practices.
“How low will the municipality lower itself to steal our hard-earned money. These fines, for me, amount to a form of legal extortion, they are using articles in their fine book to extort money. This cannot continue or else we will continually be targeted as soft and submissive payers, ”Naidoo said.
“If we don’t step up now, we will allow these badged legal criminals to slowly take away what is rightfully ours. Enough is enough!! People, we are smart business men and women, we can’t lose this, ”Naidoo said.
Superintendent Parboo Sewpersad, a spokesman for the Durban Metro police, said the department will not apologize for doing its job. He explained that people can dispute the fine in court.
“Isipingo was rapidly degenerating. One of the tasks was to keep the place clean and tidy. We have to enforce the statutes. We cannot turn a blind eye or apologize. They must appear in court and not fight them through the media, ”said Sewpersad.
Daily News
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