Walking home ( Cape Times)

After the September Council meeting I decided to walk home from the Civic Centre to Walmer Estate. After many hours in the Council chamber, fresh air and a 4km trek home was considered therapeutic.
Walking through the taxi rank on the railway deck, fresh air was absent. The rancid smell of urine scented the area. Between the taxis parked near the rank, a man was washing himself in a drum. The path was uneven and scorched. The roof covering was also burnt, broken and filthy. That thousands of commuters use this interchange daily is a disgrace. Beggars, vagrants and addicts assembled as if the area was a refuge. The bizarre layout of the taxi deck could only be the work of Neanderthals.
The old metal staircase crossing Strand Street seemed hazardous as people tried to avoid the dead rat on the pathway. The walk across the bus terminus was ruined by some bus drivers who insisted on revving their bus engines in a cramped space packed with commuters.
The walk towards and beyond Cape Tech was a challenge as the pavement was bumpy and the building works forced pedestrians into the street. The unkempt landscape of District 6 hid the goings-on of the vermin population, accept when they scurried about, forcing a shudder down ones spine. Joggers ran in the street as the rutted pathway would crack an ankle at any given step.
On entering Walmer Estate I was greeted by the fresh smell of dog poo as local dog owners refuse to recognize the pavement as public property. On Sundays when walking to the shop, my daughters entertain each other by pointing out and sidestepping every poo job on the pavement. Some dog owners allow their dogs to roam the streets without any consideration for fellow residents.
When I eventually got home, I was thankful that I lived in Cape Town. While the world is mostly at war and the rest of South Africa have partial access to services, in Cape Town we at least have access to clean water and reliable electricity supply when we can afford it.
Cllr Yagyah Adams
Cape Muslim Congress