City of Cape Town also responsible for illegal dumping of old food

The DA-led City of Cape Town must take responsibility for their inactions in the Strand's Pholile Park Community where dozens of people took ill after consuming dumped food past its expiry date, says the ANC (see Cape Times report).

Ward 86 Councillor Xolani Sotashe says he personally complained about various illegal dumping in this poor area, but it fell on deaf ears.

"Instead, the situation worsened. Now, all want to pass the bucket. I demand charges been laid against all who failed the poor inhabitants and who caused about 150 people to become ill.

"The conditions here are terrible. There are no to little services rendered. There is no electricity, minimal toilets and no infrastructure. The desperate people are dumped on the side of a road in a road reserve. They only receive empty promises and nobody at the City cares for them.

"Mayor Dan Plato knows the situation as he visited the area last year. Yet, he has done nothing since to improve the lives of these people.

"Therefore I urge people to be more careful and vigilant. They must unite behind and work with their leaders. They will have to find their own solutions and destiny," says Councillor Sotashe.

He and other people had been in the area since residents took ill and dozens had to be taken to hospitals for treatment.

The area had been visited by experts and the outcomes of the tests are awaited to determine exactly what caused so many people to become sick of the food that had been dumped there. Some of the use-by-dates expired in 2007.

Statement issued by Xolani Sotashe, Councillor for Ward 86 (including Lwandle, Rusthof, Helderberg Park and Greenways), ANC Western Cape, January 10 2011

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