Weekend Argus (Saturday Edition)
Joe Slovo residents cry foul at uncollected garbage
AN UNBEARABLE stench from garbage which has been piling up since Christmas Day is forcing Joe Slovo residents to keep their windows closed.
The rubbish is mounting up on Khosi Street and Freedom Way in Langa, even forcing motorists and pedestrians to take alternative routes.
Empty bottles of alcohol, food, plastic, nappies and paper litter the street.
Roadside vendors who sell vegetables as well as taxi drivers are complaining about the smell, and are concerned about a possible health hazard to those living nearby.
Residents have accused the city of failing to provide an adequate refuse removal service this week.
Taxi driver Lonwabo Sandi said the amount of rubbish piled up was unbelievable, with the foul odour drifting through the taxi rank.
“This smell is bad and passengers complain all the time. I wish the council could take this, it’s really inhumane. This rubbish is now attracting rodents,” Sandi said.
Local vendor Memory Chiruwa said the rubbish had caused business to slow down as people looked to avoid the smell.
“It’s a terrible sight and I don’t know when last the rubbish was collected.”
“Since Christmas, the garbage hasn’t been collected. The council truck comes here but we don’t know what it really does, because the rubbish is piling up every day.”
The City of Cape Town mayoral committee for utility services Ernest Sonnenberg said the city’s refuse collection was on Wednesdays and “staff were on site as scheduled”.
Resident Themba Mbengu complained that he hasn’t opened his house’s windows for days.
“It’s a serious problem really, we can’t open the windows because the smell comes into our houses,” Mbengu said.
“I don’t know when the council is going to collect the rubbish, our neighbourhood is the dirtiest area around.
“Our children can’t play outside in the yard because the street is full of the trash.”