By Nalisha Kalideen
What was meant to be a goodwill gesture for squatters at an informal settlement on Johannesburg's West Rand on Wednesday turned out to be an embarrassment for the police, a councillor and the donor, charity group Robin Good Initiative.
Residents at the Princess Squatter Camp behind the Westgate Shopping Centre refused to accept free cabbages when they found that many of them were rotten.
Assistant Area Commissioner for the West Rand, Abraham Pitersen, went to the camp to hand out teddy bears and food. Although about 250 children were thrilled with the bears, their parents were not impressed with the cabbages.
The distribution was co-ordinated by an embarrassed councillor Ros Kreig, who had contacted police for transport.
"I accepted the donation without knowing some cabbages were rotten," she said.