CNN Bans "George Cleaners Battle for a Community Garden" IReport
CNN Ban's Interview with George Cleaner, Flora Burts, about her battle with the Municipality and community to transform a township municipal property from a filthy rubbish dump to community gardens. Perhaps CNN does not believe that poor or non-white people are entitled to community gardens? Something only rich people are entitled to?
Andrea Muhrrteyn | George Leaks | 13 January 2013
CNN Bans "George Cleaners Battle for a Community Garden" IReport
Andrea Muhrrteyn | George Leaks | 13 January 2013
[Note: The following report (video and article) was posted to CNN IReport, but was removed and banned by CNN, even though it does not violate any of the Community Guidelines or Terms of Service.]
George Cleaners Battle for a Community Garden
The town of George is the capital of the Southern Cape, settled in the middle of what is known as the Garden Route. It was the first town founded by the British, in the then Cape Colony and was named after King George III.
George is located at the foot of the Outeniqua Mountains, which means "Men laden with honey" in the Khoisan language, referring to the Khoisan tribes fetching honey from wild bees in the mountains. Three passes cross the mountains, Cradock, Montagu and Outeniqua.
The ancient English oak tree in front of the Old Library was planted by Landdrost van Kervel in 1811, and is now known as the ‘Slave Tree’ because of the old chain and lock embedded in the tree trunk. The Slave Tree is the largest oak in the Southern Hemisphere and is a National Monument.
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Interview with George Cleaner: Flora Burts:
My name is Flora Burts. I live in Cornville, on the corner of Tinktinkie and New Cornbey Street. In the plot next to me, in front of my door is allot of rubbish, and I have complained to the Municipality, since it is a health risk.
There was a response, but they don't do anything about it. The people just continue to throw their rubbish there.
Now over Christmas, they set the rubbish on fire, and I had to go and put it out. Now the reason I am again complaining about this rubbish, is cause its not just about me, cause if my bungalow catches fire, then it will be my bungalow, and my neighbours and his neighbours. So this is why I again want to ask, can they not do something about this. What if they set a fire at night and I am asleep, what then? Then all our bungalows will burn to the ground?
.. [Who sets the fire?] ..
That must be the drug addicts at night, I don't know. When I see its on fire. ..
[When did you write the letters? How many letters have you written to the Municipality?] ..
We wrote two letters. Last year in March. The woman -- Betsie Badenhorst -- would get back to us. I went to see her at the Municipality with my neighbour, but she has not gotten back to us. Nothing. ..
[What do you want them to do?] ..
A community garden; a place where everyone in the community can plant some vegetables. Something that helps the community. Anything, except all that rubbish. ..
.. [When is Convilles rubbish picked up?] ..
On Tuesdays.
.. [Why do people put their rubbish there?] ..
I don't know. Once the rubbish has been picked up, they just come and dump it there with wheelbarrows.
.. [From where?] ..
From Cornville. They can put their rubbish outside, but I don't know.
I asked Ms. Badenhorst to setup a fence, so that the people cannot dump their rubbish there. She said the municipality didn't have any money for it. Something must be done there.
.. [So what you want is that it is fenced in and that you can have a community garden there. Even if you get a garden, and its not fenced, they will still dump rubbish there.] ..
Yes, they will dump their rubbish and they will also steal the vegetables. It must be closed in.
All their rubbish and clothes are dumped infront of my kitchen door.
I can't take it anymore.
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South Africans throw away over 566 million tonnes of rubbish each year.
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