Cape Town - Nine people will appear in court for dumping human waste in the departure terminal at Cape Town International Airport, Western Cape police said on Wednesday.
Lieutenant-Colonel Andre Traut said they would appear in the Bellville Magistrate's Court on Thursday.
They had been charged under the National Key Points Act, as the airport was a key point.
ANC councillor Loyiso Nkohla and former ANC councillor Andile Lili, who are out on warning for a similar offence, also face disciplinary action from their party.
Witnesses said the men arrived in a black car, and from the boot took out containers covered in blue plastic bags. They loaded it on a trolley before emptying the contents at the airport’s Entrance One near the drop-off area. The canisters were also spilled near escalators leading up to restaurants at the airport.
Nkohla and Lili have over the last few weeks led residents from Khayelitsha, Gugulethu and Philippi in protests at the city’s sanitation services. They have also been campaigning for flush toilets for all people in those areas and rejected the use of bucket and portable toilets.
Both were released on warnings at Cape Town Magistrate’s Court for allegedly dumping human waste on the steps of the Provincial Legislature in Wale Street.
On Tuesday, police cordoned off Entrance One and the area near the escalators for at least four hours. Passers-by covered their noses.
Speaking from the airport’s police station, Lili said by taking their protest to the airport they wanted to send out a message to the UN.
“We wanted them to know that our people have been living with uncleaned toilets that are filled up for three months. The so-called environmentalists don’t say anything about the health risks the people in townships are faced with daily.
“We want the United Nations and these so-called environmentalists to know that the city does not care about the health of black people,” Lili said.
He said he and Nkohla had been arrested with Thembela Mbanjwa, Bongile Zanazo and Yanga Mjingwana. Three other men from the Europe informal settlement in Gugulethu had been arrested at the airport’s parking lot on the way to dumping faeces inside, Lili said.
“They came after us but fortunately we were able to get our message across before the police arrested us.”
Airports Company SA spokeswoman Deborah Francis said the incident was “unfortunate” and apologised to airport users. “Airport operations were not affected by this incident,” Francis said.
The ANC described members who took part in the faeces protests, as “pseudo revolutionaries who were ill-disciplined”.
The party’s provincial secretary, Songezo Mjongile, said Lili and Nkohla would be called to a disciplinary committee hearing because “they were clearly bringing the party into disrepute”. He said the conduct of the pair was unacceptable and the throwing of faeces was “barbaric”.
Western Cape ANC spokesman Phillip Dexter also condemned the protest. “Such behaviour is unacceptable and the ANC condemns it without reservation,” Dexter said.
The ANC said if its members were involved in criminal behaviour, they would face swift disciplinary action.
ANC Dullah Omar regional secretary Vuyiso Tyhalisisu said the ANC’s regional leadership has started to formulate charges against the pair.
The party’s local councillors and branch leaders from Khayelitsha, Philippi and Gugulethu meet today to discuss the protests and other ANC members involved in the throwing of faeces.
Cape Times and Sapa