Durban — A 52-year-old man was handed a R2 000 fine for urinating in public in Richards Bay on Tuesday.
The ticket has since gone viral on social media with many commenting about the incident.
On Tuesday night, City of uMhlathuze councillor Henning de Wet wrote this on his Facebook page:
“Urinating in Public
“This brazen offender found out the hard way today when he audaciously urinated publicly at the Boardwalk Mall in Richards Bay. This booked him a ticket to court or to pay a R2000-00 fine to avoid a life of a criminal record or a taste of imprisonment without the option of a fine.
“Well done to the City of uMhlathuze Traffic Department, this is a step into the right direction!”
According to the ticket, the 52-year-old man was urinating in public view at the Boardwalk 2 parking in Richards Bay on Tuesday morning.
Reacting to the incident, Catherine Anne Dalton said: “At long last and well done. May this continue, for the health and respect of all humans. The smell in the open parking facility is unbearable. A lot of empty alcohol bottles were once again left under trees and in the open parking bays. Hope daily ‘around the clock’ spot checks continue!”
Yolandi Fivaz said well done.
“Hope we start seeing more of these, as well as public drinking. But unfortunately, the ‘it's my human right’ card will be played and this person will be Scott-free and fine withdrawn. But well done to the officer for enforcing a by-law that’s been long overdue.”
Arnie Meiring said the cops should be sent to the bottle store alley between Konica Minolta and the bottle store on Bullion Boulevard. The alley gets used as a public toilet all day long for urinating and number twos in public view.
Josi Lang said: “Thank goodness. I'm so sick and tired of them using everywhere as their own toilet. It doesn't matter who it is, don’t do it.”
Cindy Gray said thank goodness.
“I was just saying back in the day there was a fine for urinating in public and it was supposed to be a spot fine. This prevented our street corners from smelling like a urinal. This needs to be practised all over again; well done indeed.”
Mbongiseni BabakaCharmerboy Ntshangase said urinating in public was horrible for many reasons and it had to come to a stop.
Ntshangase questioned why there were no free toilets inside Boardwalk. He said that if you were around Game and in need of a toilet, you had to go to the ATM and then get some change before going to the toilet.
“What an inconvenience. R2 might be too much for the parking attendants and toilets at the garage are reserved for their customers. The last time I went to Gateway in Durban there were free toilets. Even Sanlam Centre had free toilets that have been converted to pay toilets,” Ntshangase said.
“These investors are so inhuman and immoral and our authorities say nothing about that.
“Lastly, why is the postal code on this ticket not hidden or is it for obvious reasons?”
Meanwhile, Durban Metro Police Senior Superintendent Boysie Zungu said a person caught urinating in public faced being fined R500.
Daily News