Allegations that Impala Printers in Heidelberg was dumping ink in a nearby park appeared on social media on March 2.
The post contained pictures of the business itself and a man pouring ink onto the road and park in Romyn Street. Negative comments soon followed the post on social media.
HERAUT investigated the matter and paid Impala Printers an unannounced visit on March 10. The owner of the company explained that the man in the photo is not an employee. He also said that suspected nyaope users have been a problem for the company for a number of years.
“We have a locked cage at the back of the building where we store empty ink drums and scrap paper. Drug users break this cage open to remove whatever is inside,” the owner said.
Jameel Cassim (manager of Impala Printers) showed a number of locks that had been broken to gain access to the storage cage.
“We replace locks and reinforce the cage regulary. The man in the picture is not an employee as our staff wear blue overalls. Nyaope users break the cage open and steal our recyclable tins to sell as scrap metal. We have a disposal company that collects items from the cage weekly, but we can’t seem to stop the addicts from gaining access,” Cassim added.
According to the business owner, the Lesedi Health Department showed up on March 3 and found everything in order. HERAUT can confirm that the cage was locked and secured properly during our visit.
“People should think twice before posting something on social media as it may lead to legal action. False allegations can hurt a business in the long run. Speak to the business owner first and get the facts before naming and shaming a business on Facebook,” the owner concluded.
