According to
the latest Bulawayo City Council report, the local authority received a
complaint that the company, Flynote Investments (Pvt) Ltd, which is located in
Thorngrove, has since had 322 tonnes of rice confiscated and sent to the
Government Analyst Laboratory for analysis.
Flynote
Investments operates under the Evergold brand. It also emerged that the rice
was also being handled in a stock feed facility lacking basic food-grade
standards, raising alarm over potential contamination with mould, bacteria and
chemical residues.
“Water-damaged
bulk rice for stock feed was being packaged and sold for human consumption. The
rice was being packaged in a stock feed factory with extremely poor hygienic
conditions,” reads the council report.
No comment
could be obtained from the company yesterday.
During the same
month, according to the report, the local authority also received four other
complaints from residents, ranging from noise pollution to public indecency.
“At Burombo
Beer Garden, Mzilikazi, there was a complaint of human excreta around,
contributed by illegal occupants in the premises.
“It was
investigated, referred to the town planning department for eviction of illegal
occupiers.
“At number 25
Marimba Road, Matsheumhlope, there was a complaint of noise and smell resulting
from the pigs reared within that yard.
“It was
referred to the WASH and Pollution section. At number 6 Msigwana Road,
Harrisvale, there was a complaint over there being no ablution facilities and
water, three families housed in one dwelling, with a total of 15 people in a
four-bedroomed house,” reads the report.
Meanwhile,
Bulawayo councillors have called for a tie-up order targeting stray cats after
the successful implementation of a 10-day tie-up order on stray dogs.
The councillors
noted that there were many stray cats in the city and there was a need to come
up with a deliberate policy similar to the dog tie-up order.
“Councillor
Lazarus Mphadwe applauded Council for the tie-up order, which was done over a
period of 10 days. “The tie-up order only dealt with stray dogs. There were a
lot of big cats in the Central Business District.
“Over a period
of five years, the population of these cats would have multiplied
significantly.
“Councillor
Felix Madzana concurred. Council should have a different policy that would deal
with cats. The population of cats had increased, especially in residential
areas.
“Some residents
kept a lot of fowls in their properties. Other residents had complained about
noise, smell and flies,” reads the council report.
Councillors
noted that there was also a need to come up with policies to deal with vicious
dog species in the city, as they were now a danger to residents.
Responding to
the suggestions and concerns raised by the Councillors, director of health
services, Dr Edwin Mzingwane, said the issue of vicious dog breeds would be
addressed by a policy, which was being drafted, awaiting inputs from other
stakeholders such as SPCA, ZRP and the Veterinary Services.
He revealed
that during the 10-day tie-up order 79 stray dogs were brought down, with
another tie-up order on the cards soon.
“The reduction
of cats should be balanced to avoid a scenario that took place in South
Africa’s Alexandra area in the city of Johannesburg.All the cats were killed
and the rat population increased very fast, prompting authorities to bring in
owls to control the rats.”
He assured
residents that cats were less dangerous in the spread of rabies.
He said the
cats were needed in the ecosystem to control rats, which brought serious
disease outbreaks. H Metro
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