Driving through the city and suburbs, the vulgarity of vagrants living everywhere is repulsive. Vagrancy and hostile begging degrade the reputation of Cape Town as a world-class city.
As if load shedding was not enough, how must the hospitality trade cater for tourism which is vital to the income of thousands of locals?
Convincing anyone to return and spend euros or dollars in Cape Town is tough when the unkempt, resembling zombies from a horror movie, are everywhere.
Scavengers upturn bins and toss rubbish and when the wind blows, the city streets look apocalyptic.
Taxis park everywhere and people cross streets anywhere trying to escape a tornado of swirling filth.
The City of Cape Town has and is spending millions in ratepayers’ money to solve the issue but is taken to court and ratepayers’ monies is wasted by nefarious organisations that protect vagrancy and begging. These organisations feign sincerity but actually encourage and exacerbate the problem.
Ratepayers who pay for a clean milieu are victims, and criminals who hide amid beggars and vagrants are victors.
It is vital the media investigate and expose those behind the organisations who prevent Council from cleaning our city? We must unmask the individuals and their agenda. They terrorise and waste ratepayers’ money in court and allow our beautiful milieu to be ruined for everyone.
There are many Council programmes to manage the issues but vagrants and beggars refuse the help offered.
It does seem that hostile begging and dirty living is an actual choice. Otherwise why do they refuse to go to the facilities available? Is it the rule of no drinking and drugs allowed that offends?
Ratepayers cannot allow this behaviour to endure. Walking on Camps Bay beach and viewing the aquamarine and turquoise waves crashing ashore is breathtaking. This experience is tainted when eating and an unkempt beggar threateningly stares directly at you.
We have one of the highest tax and VAT rates, irregular electricity and water is expensive. We lead the world in murder, addiction and many crimes, which an average society does not have. Is it too much to ask, to eat without being stared at by a beggar talking aggressively to an imaginary friend?
Locals must protect our natural beauty for future generations and for tourists who bring money. How must eateries survive without electricity and clients as fewer people leave home for fear of drunk drivers, vagrants and criminals who dominate the street? Must everyone cringe behind switched-off electric fences ordering chicken online, praying to God the food delivery is not a home invasion?
* Cllr Yagyah Adams, Cape Muslim Congress.
** The views expressed here are not necessarily those of Independent Media.
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