METRO POLICE RAID THE STREET VENDORS IN DIEPSLOOT
ON FIRE: THE METRO POLICE OFFICERS AT THE WATCH AS FIRE DESTROYS THE BUSINESS BUILT STRUCTURES IN DIEPSLOOT EXT.5.
Maleka Charles
The Johannesburg Metro Police in Diepsloot raided the street vendors on Wednesday, setting their little business built structures alight by mistake, Diepsloot. Ext.5.
According to the reports, the JMPD invaded the street venders in ext.5 because they assumed the hawkers there were operating without permits.
A ward committee Mrs. Lekalakala said the metro police were not supposed to invade extension five, but said were supposed to invade the taxi rank in extension seven instead.
“I am sent here by the counselors to come and stop them (Metro Police) from destroying these shades, instead they should go to a taxi rank in extension seven not here, because the people here have the right things.”
She also said it is the JMPD’s responsibility to make sure that all the illegal hawkers are removed from the streets immediately.
“This is the JMPD’s work, let’s say people have built their shades like this here, they should have the right things, cause the Metro police only want the right things, but we as the ward committees we have to know first.”
Lekalakala said the counselors will have its first meeting of 2018 with the ward committees Thursday, two o’clock to discuss this and other matters.
“I received a message today that we are going to have a meeting tomorrow at two o’clock with the counselors and other ward committees about this.”
When Letsohla questioned the metro police regarding their actions on these poor street vendors, who are trying to make ends meet, they referred us to the JMPD spokesperson Mr. Wayne Mienaar and Edna Monyane and said they can account for their deeds.
“The best thing is to contact Wayne Mienaar, the spokesperson of JMPD or Edna Monyane they will help you.” Said one Metro Police officer.
The Metro Police had apparently destroyed many built structures in other extensions like extension two, three and four, before they could invade extension five, where three structures were set alight as a result.
