In the Germiston CBD, the Golden Walk Mall was open but there were very few shops operating inside.
It was the same outside the inner city. Most shops were closed and there were no hawkers on the streets.
The Flora Herb Wellness Clinic, operated by Caiphus Kgoale, was the only business open along Railway Street which leads to the Germiston taxi rank
“I’m not scared at all. I know most businesses around here closed because they are scared that there could be looting during the protest. I have opened my business because it is a clinic. It is not just a shop.
“Our clinic was open even during the 2021 July unrest. Protesters never troubled us. But I understand why the rest of the business community decided to close around here,” Kgoale said.
Not far from Kgoale’s clinic, members of the Greater Germiston Taxi Association monitored the traffic and streets.
“We have been monitoring the situation since the morning. Protesters tried to block Railway Street next to the Engen garage but we chased them away. They also tried to do the same at Dukathole informal settlement and we removed the burning tyres from the road.
“We will keep watching the roads into the night to make sure that our commuters are safe. We do not want to see what happened in 2021 again. It hit a lot of businesses and we also suffered,” said Mbuyiseni Mazibuko, a member of the association.
Community police forums in Primrose and Germiston deployed several security personnel to protect the area as there were fears the shutdown could turn violent.
In Primrose, eight security companies were on guard.
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Germiston business owner explains why he defied EFF’s call to close shop
Image: Penwell Dlamini
Germiston looked like ghost town on Monday morning as many businesses closed their doors during the national shutdown called by the EFF.
In the suburb of Primrose, there was no activity in Rietfontein Road which cuts through the main business district as almost all the shops were closed.
Police and Ekurhuleni metro officers patrolled the street to ensure there was no violence during the protest.
In the Germiston CBD, the Golden Walk Mall was open but there were very few shops operating inside.
It was the same outside the inner city. Most shops were closed and there were no hawkers on the streets.
The Flora Herb Wellness Clinic, operated by Caiphus Kgoale, was the only business open along Railway Street which leads to the Germiston taxi rank
“I’m not scared at all. I know most businesses around here closed because they are scared that there could be looting during the protest. I have opened my business because it is a clinic. It is not just a shop.
“Our clinic was open even during the 2021 July unrest. Protesters never troubled us. But I understand why the rest of the business community decided to close around here,” Kgoale said.
Not far from Kgoale’s clinic, members of the Greater Germiston Taxi Association monitored the traffic and streets.
“We have been monitoring the situation since the morning. Protesters tried to block Railway Street next to the Engen garage but we chased them away. They also tried to do the same at Dukathole informal settlement and we removed the burning tyres from the road.
“We will keep watching the roads into the night to make sure that our commuters are safe. We do not want to see what happened in 2021 again. It hit a lot of businesses and we also suffered,” said Mbuyiseni Mazibuko, a member of the association.
Community police forums in Primrose and Germiston deployed several security personnel to protect the area as there were fears the shutdown could turn violent.
In Primrose, eight security companies were on guard.
TimesLIVE
Support independent journalism by subscribing to the Sunday Times. Just R20 for the first month.
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