25 Feb 2020

South East South Sub-district Council is concerned with the behaviour of some informal businesses operating within its jurisdiction. Sub-council chairperson, Ms Semakeleng Sebogodi pointed this during the opening of the sub-council session in Ramotswa on February 24.

He said some of the informal sector activities, which include street vending, had become a great concern.

She said street vendors targeted places with a lot of movement of the public since that is where they could make money. “As such they bring all sorts of shabby and valueless materials which they use as shelter for operating their businesses.

At the end of the day they leave behind those shabby structures that are an eyesore,” she said. Councillor Sebogodi said such structures also posed danger to the public, as they became hiding places for thieves to attack unsuspecting members of the public easily.

“Of late they have now resorted to selling food during the night. They place themselves in between vehicles with their braai stands, thus posing danger to themselves and peoples’ property”.

Furthermore, councillor Sebogodi, who is the councillor for Sepitswana ward in Ramotswa said noise and nuisance was another problem troubling the sub-district.

She said council’s bye law division had received some complaints from members of the public concerning excessive noise from licensed bars usually due to loud entertainment and noisy patrons in or near the bars. She said liquor act stipulates that music can be played within the licensed premises at a low level, but businesses tend to ignore that.

Councillor Sebogodi noted that of late people had been encouraged by government to utilise their agricultural land to do other activities such as agro tourism. This has contributed to reduction of the incidents of noise and nuisance in the build up areas as people have now resorted to hosting recreational activities in their farms.

“These types of activities have really assisted regarding noise as the farms are a bit distant from the residential homestead,” she said. Furthermore, she said the council had for a significant amount of time been concerned about the mushrooming of illegal signboards.

She said the council with the assistance from Ipelegeng labourers managed to remove some of the illegal signboards and the exercise was on-going. She further added that tender for advertisement space in South East South was on-going and at an advanced stage. BOPA