City vows to clear Cato Crest rubbish

RUBBISH which has piled up at Nqobile Village, Cato Crest, will be cleaned up, says the municipality.

This comes after an article in Berea Mail highlighted the dismal living conditions residents in Cato Crest are forced to live in for the past three months because they have had no refuse removal service. eThekwini head of communications, Tozi Mthethwa, said the Durban Solid Waste Unit provided a standardised once a week domestic collection service to all residents within eThekwini Municipality but unfortunately the residents within the Cato Crest area had been putting out their refuse daily and as a result there had been an accumulation of waste in the area.

“The Municipality appeals to residents in the area to only put out their refuse once a week for collection. The refuse needs to be left out by 7am on the verge for collection. As a way forward to address the piled up refuse, a once off clean-up is planned. To sustain and maintain the area DSW will be conducting an education and waste minimisation awareness campaign. The municipality does not consider political affiliation when providing services to residents,” she said.

Councillor Halalisani Ndlovu, PR councillor for the area, said he felt eThekwini’s failure to collect refuse in Nqobile Village was purely political.

He said this community was being victimized for merely practicing their democratic rights as they were being punished for openly supporting the DA in the May elections. Chairperson of Abahlali Basemjondolo, said refuse was usually collected on a Thursday, prior to the elections in May.