PMB businesses urged to get interdicts against civic organisation disruptions

Pietermaritzburg central police station acting station commander Nerashie Laalmohan has implored local businesses to obtain a mandatory interdict to prevent bodies claiming to be civic organisations from entering their premises and disrupting operations. A mandatory interdict is a court order that not only prevents groups from disrupting businesses, but requires them to leave the premises and allows police to remove them if they do not comply. In recent weeks there has been a spike in incidents around Pietermaritzburg and other areas where members of certain organisations have been harassing employers, foreign nationals and even South Africans under the guise of fighting illegal immigration.

Speaking at an imbizo held at the Maritzburg East Sports and Recreation Club on Prince Alfred Street on Thursday, Laalmohan said she and the station’s management were aware of growing concerns among local businesses about ongoing civic organisation protests, which, in some instances, have forced operations to shut down for a day or two. She said the South African Police Service (SAPS) remains willing to assist but is limited in what it can do. To give SAPS the power to intervene, she asked local businesses to obtain a mandatory interdict to prevent their operations from being disrupted by unprotected strikes.

“The interdict must state that when police arrive at your premises, they are authorised to remove groups, as SAPS is the respondent,” she said. Laalmohan added that businesses must specify what SAPS are allowed to do when they arrive and encouraged them to seek legal advice on how to obtain a compelling interdict. She said the interdicts she has seen over the past few weeks have not been compelling, which limits SAPS’ ability to act decisively. Responding to widespread criticism of police arriving on the scene and not clearing out protesters, Laalmohan said patrol vans respond to such disruptions but are not mandated to deal with gatherings or enter private property to remove unwanted people.