Residents of a community have taken matters into their own hands after government officials failed to address issues of illegal shops and lack of inspection of food sold in their area. The residents, under Operation Dudula, have decided to close the shops themselves as a form of protest against the government’s inaction.
One resident, Serobedi, expressed frustration at the lack of response from officials despite numerous reports and inspections. The problem, according to Serobedi, lies in the failure to enforce immigration and labour laws, rather than a lack of policing. The shops continue to operate after paying fines for violations, without any real consequences.
Another resident, Mmusi Mnguni, has supported the closure of these shops and stopped buying from them even before the Covid-19 lockdown. The community is demanding action from the government to address these issues that have been ignored for too long.
TimesLIVE