Whoonga masses deter customers

OWNERS of businesses in the Ematsheni area in the CBD of Pietermaritzburg continue to complain about vagrants

camping outside their stores.

Questions are being asked as to why the authorities were not taking action to protect businesses in the area and remove the vagrants who are sitting on the pavements in large groups.

Owner of Auto and General Supplies, Ameen Haniff, said the vagrants outside his store were scaring away customers.

Haniff said it was alleged that the vagrants openly sell, buy and smoke whoonga and sometimes fight among themselves.

He said the presence of the vagrants was having a negative effect on his business because his customers are intimidated by their presence.

The worried business man said some of the customers are worried about the vagrants robbing them and as a result, they have decided to stay clear of the area.

He said this leads to the business suffering.

Some local business-people have also decided to move to other locations because most of their customers are staying clear of the area, which is now infested by vagrants and alleged whoonga users.

Haniff also said if the vagrants were to ambush his shop he would not know what to do, as some of them tended to be aggressive when confronted or when asked to move away from the shops.

He said they have contacted the municipality asking for procedures to follow in order to move the groups from outside their shops.

Pietermaritzburg Chamber of Business CEO Melanie Veness, said urgent action needs to be taken to re-establish a conducive business environment for rate-paying businesses to operate in.

Pietermaritzburg police spokesperson Sergeant Mthokozisi Ngobese urged the business owners to open cases with the SAPS so that the police can intervene.