Nothing is out of bounds for the desperate and in the blink of an eye the 'home' becomes a cesspit that affects everyone in the area.
Even the multi-million rand GIPTN system that will become operational next month has already fallen foul to vagrants that have occupied the recently completed public toilets at the upgraded bus terminus in Cradock Street.
Monde Ntantiso, who has been selling fruit and vegetables at the taxi rank for 20 years, contacted the George Herald as he is at his wits end with the situation at the taxi rank.
"I can't sell my produce in the area as it stinks and the raw sewage is seeping onto the pavement. The contractor had barely finished building the toilets when they broke the lock and occupied the structure. All day long the police and municipal law enforcement offi-cers drive past but do nothing. This has been going on since about October."
Ntantiso has a hawkers permit to trade in the CBD. "When they began upgrading the terminus in 2012 for the GIPTN I had to move as this section was cordoned off. I haven't got my stand back and the place near the toilets is not fit for selling food. The 'bosslapers' sell drugs from here and won't move. The police found drugs there in one of their raids."
Aggrieved, Ntantiso is still paying for his permit as he feels that one day council will listen to the complaints from the bus terminus hawkers. "They can't spend millions on the latest buses and allow them to all come past a broken occupied toilet that someone calls home."
Municipal Manager, Trevor Botha, issued the following statement: "This matter will be investigated by a Municipal Inter Departmental Task team who will be mandated to find a sustainable solution to this and other similar challenges in conjunction with the relevant external role-players (e.g. NGOs, churches, provincial government, corporate business, the night shelter, SAPS etc)."
Washing is hung up over the structure's walls.
Someone eating an apple in the toilet.
ARTICLE AND PHOTOS: MYRON RABINOWITZ, GEORGE HERALD JOURNALIST
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