Press Release

To: All News Editors

From: The City of Johannesburg

OPERATION NUDE ANTS TINGS AS IT ENTERS PHASE ONE

Operation Nude Ants will from the early hours of tomorrow (Wednesday 18) enter the first of its nine phases planned for the Inner City with a sting hitting all criminal activities and by-law violations in the in the city centre.

At its launch yesterday, the operation completed the preliminary requirements, which has been in place for several months of issuing illegal traders with notices informing them of their violations of by-laws throughout the Inner City.

Council has designated the rejuvenation of the Inner City as one of the Mayoral Priorities, and given the varied and often complex nature of the targeted areas, the Johannesburg Metro Police Department (JMPD) devised a detailed, well co-ordinated phased approach for the area. Phase one will kick off in the vicinity of St Mary's Cathedral in the CBD. Wanderers Street borders the area on the eastern side, De Villiers on the north, Hoek on the west and Plein in the south.

The JMPD said the phases are sub-divided into several action steps lasting for about 72 hours at the time the reason being to start with the less complicated tasks and ending with the more complex ones.

The area covered by phase one has a large number of illegal traders mostly trading in fruits and vegetables, second-hand clothing on the pavements and sidewalks. It is particularly notorious for pick pocketing, mugging, vagrants, illegal immigrants and is overly populated with illegal taxi ranks. The JMPD said none would be spared.

Ends.

For more information contact:

Mbangwa Xaba
Media Liaison
Tel: 407 7226
Fax: 403 3494
082 467 9230
Or visit our website www.joburg.org.za