At the Subcouncil 12 Area Coordinating meeting (ACT) held on 30 January 2014, several informal traders once more complained about drug addicted beggars that are making their lives a living hell. Muggings, gangsterism and general anti-social behaviour have increased dramatically. According to a City official working with the vagrants, 83 out of the 107 vagrants that live at the Mitchell’s Plain Town Centre (MPTC) are practically incapable of rehabilitation.
The problem is that drugs are freely available and sold like samosas and donuts at the MPTC. The 70 000 people who use the transport interchange and the existing informal traders are the victims. To access money for alcohol and drugs, criminals and vagrants rob the locals at the MPTC. As a result criminals have no reason to change their way of life or place of operation.
The toilet at the MPTC is a story on its own. According to the informal traders the stench from the ladies toilet requires a CIS analysis as it could be a bio-hazard. The men’s toilet has been without water for two months and counting. The urinals have been broken for a while with no resolution. The condition is so grim that Councillors have been invited to inspect why there are no toilet rolls for use.
Drug addicts steal bins and anything that is not secure costing ratepayers millions in repairs annually. The inability or aversion of the South African Police and the City of Cape Town law enforcement to work together is an issue. Since criminals are unable or reluctant to change their behaviour, society should seriously consider sterilizing drug and alcohol addicted vagrants and violent criminals. This may limit them from creating more social problems through reproduction.
Local traders complain that foreigners operate illegal food stalls while at the same time they sell drugs. Ironically, local criminals rob local people for drug money to enrich foreign drug dealers.
What’s next?
Cllr Yagyah Adams
Cape Muslim Congress