Durban – An entrepreneur in Pietermaritzburg was charged for selling “bottled spring water”, which Msunduzi municipality officials discovered was sourced from a tap during a blitz operation by the city on businesses on Wednesday.
The operation was part of a series of ongoing blitz operations across the region which aims to restore law and order in the city.
The municipality said municipal officials from various departments visited businesses to make sure that the businesses were in compliance with municipal by-laws.
“Officials found and charged a store selling a brand of ‘spring water’ for manufacturing the bottled ‘spring water’ from a tap,” said the city.
According to the municipality, the production of the bottled water takes place in a garage where labels, empty bottles, bottle caps as well as the finished product were found.
In addition, the city said businesses were found with no licences and were fined on-site while expired goods sold to the public were also confiscated from some businesses.
“This exercise aims to reinstate law and order in the city. The municipality is taking legal action against businesses who don't comply with its bylaws,” said the municipality.
This operation was a continuation of Monday’s blitz operation carried out on Ginman Lane and Knipe Street.
During that operation, the municipality said teams bust an illegal clinic that performs illegal abortions.
“The team seized illegal products sold by bogus herbalists and also arrested a male and a female found in a room where unsafe abortions are performed. The illegal business was shut down immediately,” said the city.
More arrests were made after several business owners failed to produce business licences while others did not have proper documentation for citizenship, added the city.
“These individuals were taken to Home Affairs for further verification and thereafter will be taken to the police station where the municipality will lay formal criminal charges against them.”
