Three suspected illegal foreign nationals have been arrested following inspections in the Durban CBD at the weekend. Led by the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs, the visits monitor compliance with lockdown regulations by businesses, liquor traders and gambling outlets.
Other departments like the Department of Home Affairs and the Department of Labour were also involved.
Spokesperson for the Department of Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs Bheki Mbanjwa says compliance notices and fines were issued to four nightclubs for contravening the lockdown regulations and the disaster management act.
“Some of these places continued to trade in contravention of the disaster management act because under the current lockdown regulations, nightclubs are not supposed to be opened. Because this was a multi-pronged inspection, which also involved officials from immigration services and the liquor authority and gaming and betting board, we also arrested three people who are suspected of being illegal foreign nationals. One of those is a nightclub owner. Further to that, there were compliance notices and fines issued to about four nightclubs for trading in contravention of the disaster management act.”
Meanwhile, Mbanjwa says similar compliance visits are expected to intensify ahead of the Easter weekend.
“The MEC has been clear that all businesses to comply with the COVID-19 regulations to ensure that there is enough social distancing, to ensure that they trade within the specified hours, to ensure basically that they adhere to all the relevant regulations. This will help us in the long run because we will be able to slow down the rate of infections, so as continue to head into Easter, the business inspections also continue. As I’m speaking to you today, the MEC is at Esikhalen in Richard’s Bay where he will be conducting business inspections.”
