Noise and curfew breaking continues
MBOMBELA - Despite Lowvelder’s article on noise complaints against three establishments in town, the issue persists.
Added to this is the fact that they are operating outside of curfew hours.
The establishments in question are both the Coyotes, the one in Anderson Street and the other in Brander Street, and the new restaurant, The Prestige Lifestyle Grand, located where News Café once was.
Both the City of Mbombela Local Municipality and the Nelspruit SAPS went to these venues throughout the weekend.
The municipality was set to have a meeting at 11:00 yesterday to discuss the progress they had made over the weekend. Joseph Ngala, spokesperson for the municipality, had the following initial feedback on the matter:
“We are aware of the complaints about noise coming from some establishments around the city. The City has, through a multidisciplinary team comprised of other stakeholders, visited these establishments unannounced and served them with notices, and will continue to do so.
During these visits, it was clarified that continued contraventions of the City’s bylaws may lead to operating licences being revoked.
“The other stakeholders involved in these operations are SAPS, SARS and the Mpumalanga Economic Regulator, as they are key to ensuring that other regulatory imperatives are adhered to,” he said
Lowvelder and DA councillor, Tersia Marshall went to all three establishments over the weekend to verify claims by residents, specifically pertaining to the curfew violations. It was found that, despite the police presence, all three establishments were firstly open past 23:00, which is the prescribed closing time for restaurants according to the Disaster Management Act, and secondly, open past 00:00, which is when all citizens are supposed to be inside their homes, according to the same Act.
According to Brig Leonard Hlathi, provincial spokesperson for the SAPS, these establishments have been issued fines. These fines can be as much as R5 000.
In line with what the municipality said, Hlathi said they are running the risk of losing their licences.
When asked about the police’s actions when they witness these establishments operating outside curfew hours, he said they were there mainly there to gather evidence and not necessarily to instantly close these places down. “It has happened in the past at other venues that our officers have been assaulted by people who had been drinking. There has also been damage to vehicles during these incidents.”