Pretoria – The Joburg Metro Police Department (JMPD) said it will not tolerate acts of people urinating or defecating in public places across the city.
Social media users have been amused by images posted by the JMPD, showing a man cleaning his urine after being found by police officers urinating in public.
JMPD spokesperson Xolani Fihla told IOL that the man would not easily forget the repercussions of his actions.
“It is against the law to urinate and or defecate in public. It is a health hazard which contravenes the City of Joburg’s public roads and miscellaneous by-laws.
“A man was caught red-handed by the JMPD operations officers urinating in public, next to the JMPD command post bus located next to Saint Mary’s Cathedral at Wanderers and De Villiers in the Joburg CBD,” Fihla said.
Another culprit found urinating in public next to the #JMPD Command Post Bus at St Mary's Cathedral at Wanderers & De Villiers Str, JHB CBD. He was made to pay the consequences of his indecent action by cleaning his urine. #JoburgByLaws #SaferJoburg #ManjeNamhlanje pic.twitter.com/AXEclXc2tA
— Jo'burg Metro Police Department - JMPD (@JoburgMPD) April 21, 2023
He said the JMPD officers used “corrective measures” by instructing the offender to clean his urine, using a bucket and a mop.
“Any person who fails to comply with the provision of the public roads and miscellaneous offences will be liable, on conviction, to a fine or in default of payment, imprisonment.
“Pardon the efforts of ensuring that the offender never forgets the repercussions of his offence, he was made to clean his mess.”
On Twitter, the JMPD post has had more that 100 retweets, with majority of users applauding the law enforcement agents, while others said they did not know that urinating in public is an offence.
However, other social media users want the City of Joburg to provide public toilets across the heavily populated city.
IOL