The Isipingo ratepayers and businesses called for regular clean-up campaigns in the business district and residential area to rid it of crime and grime.

The eThekwini Municipality held what it dubbed Operation Gijima, covering areas including Orient Hills, Isipingo Beach, and Isipingo Hills in Ward 90. The operation aims to address service delivery challenges in the ward, as stated by the municipality on Wednesday.

Several businesses were visited as part of the operation to assess health and safety compliance, as well as to ensure owners were trading with a business licence. 

According to the municipality, officials confiscated expired food items being sold and issued fines for non-compliance. The operation also addressed service delivery challenges and saw blocked stormwater drains cleared, illegal dumps removed, water leaks repaired, and illegal electricity connections removed.

The municipality stated that as part of the operation, four people were arrested for failing to produce documents allowing them to be in the country legally.

Sunildutt Ramadhar, spokesperson for the Isipingo Ratepayers and Residents Association (IRRA), said the ongoing interventions in the ward were welcomed after a meeting was held with the municipality over poor service delivery in February 2025. 

Ramadhar said a planning meeting was held with the area-based management officials to track this initiative. 

“The clean-up operation is going on well, but we will still face the recurring problem of daily illegal dumping. Vacant land needs to be fenced off. We need a dumpsite to prevent this. We are working closely with officials to deal with undocumented people living or trading in the area,” he said. 

Junaid Iqbal, chairperson of the Isipingo Business Forum, welcomed the clean-up but also emphasised the need to promptly clear blocked sewer pipelines regularly, find a solution for public transport off-peak parking, and road markings. 

“Blocked drains are a consistent problem. There should also be an education drive to prevent people from littering on the pavements and sidewalks,” he said. 

Businessman Aidan David said the operation is long overdue and hoped that this time around, the service delivery issues would be given the priority that they deserve.

David called for an overhaul of the entire drainage system and sewer system in Ward 90, which was built decades ago.

He hoped it would be upgraded due to the vast number of dwellings that sprang up over the years. 

“I also hope that solutions are forthcoming for the community. The municipality's drainage non-compliance poses significant risks during heavy rainfall and causes major flooding in a lot of areas of Isipingo. I welcome the initiative, and I thank the team that has decided to do a sterling job to finally fix what is broken rather than interfere with what is working fine in Ward 90,” David said. 

*This article was first published by IOL