Some Manenberg mense say they live in fear of skollies, and now even rats, as a rat infestation has taken over their community.
Residents from the newly-formed Downs housing project say the situation has become so bad that they are afraid to leave their homes.
Mildred November, 62, aka Auntie Poppie, says: “Ons moet net agter toe deure bly.
“Whenever the door is open they come in. A few days ago one ran in here and I had to struggle to get it out of my house.”
She says she now fears that the rats might attack her young grandkids who live with her.
“I’m not happy with this because my grandchildren live with me so it’s not a good thing.”
The ouma says the rats multiplied as people continued to dump their garbage in a pond nearby after the fencing was removed.
“The people dump their garbage here so that brings the rats out. The council told us that they will clean the pond but they still didn't pitch.
“I can’t even sit in my lounge because the smell and the flies are bad," she adds.
Nuraan Arendse says kids from the nearby courts are playing in the vuil pond.
“Their mothers don’t care, they never watch their kids. We are really in need of help before this gets out of hand.”
However, Patricia van der Ross, Maco member for Community Services and Health, says the City’s Health Department did not receive complaints about the issue in the past month.
She adds: “The environmental health practitioners conduct regular anti-rodent interventions such as the block baiting of hot spots, health promotion activities focussing on waste management and responding to complaints from the community.”
byron.lukas@inl.co.za