By Phumlani Saul
NOBODY likes spending their days on a dumpsite, but for these people it’s their only hope.
Women and men come daily from Uitenhage and Despatch to a rubbish dump at Koedoes-kloof to search for food and clothes.
It’s near the M20 off-ramp at Uitenhage
The desperate, jobless people also collect bottles, cardboard and other recyclable material.
Vusumzi Ndabambi (45) told Daily kasi news: “I come to the site to collect bottles, which I sell to feed my three kids. I’ve been doing this for four years. I can’t stop because there are no jobs for us.”
The site is very busy when trucks bring rubbish between 8am and 10am. There is pushing and shoving as people struggle to get the best clothes and food. Sometimes the tension runs so high that fights break out.
“We also compete with dogs and cows,” said a man.
“It’s risky to come here. Sometimes we fight just to get some food. We know that often the food has expired but we eat it anyway.”
Social development official Luvuyo Bangazi said: “We were not aware of this situation. We will send a team to investigate and see how can we help the people.”
Mthubanzi Mniki from the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality said: “We can’t help these people but recycling companies buy items from them.”
Daily Kasi News 