The Middelburg Observer sent the following questions to the Steve Tshwete Local Municipality on October 31, but a week later, it never received any feedback.

The newspaper received complaints from Rondebosch residents about the Medina Abattoir.

Please comment on the following:

1. Cattle that are mooing/growling when they are unloaded and smell blood.
2. An unbearable stench.
3. Foamy water running down the road.
4. A plague of flies.
5. Dams that flood and make residents’ driveways impassable.
6. Trucks that unload cattle at night and start again early in the morning.
7. Cattle waste is lying 20m from houses.

According to residents, slaughtering has increased in the last few months. Their biggest concern is that an application has been made to increase the slaughtering from 40 to 270. Construction has apparently already started, and according to residents, they are noticing an increase in trucks driving into Medina’s gates. Other complaints are that they were not consulted during the approval process. They doubt the environmental impact assessment that was done and whether the water licence is in place.

 Please also answer the following questions:

1. How and why was the abattoir site approved within a residential/smallholding area?
2. Were residents properly consulted during the approval process?
3. What were the municipality’s findings or actions following the numerous complaints since 2008?
4. Is the municipality aware of new building or expansion work, and whether it has been legally approved?
5. What health and environmental monitoring is currently taking place to ensure compliance?

NOTE TO READERS: The story will be updated once a response has been received from the municipality.