Election leftovers stink

Leftovers from the ANC's election victory celebrations in North West have put the ruling party in bad odour with the people of Moretele.

A container containing beef, chicken and vegetables was moved from the municipal offices yesterday and the contents divided up among ANC volunteers, despite complaints of a "rotting stench" coming from the container.

The volunteers took part in pre-election campaigns and cooked for the celebrations on Saturday.

According to Moretele municipal spokesman Mothupi Malebye, permission for the container to be left at the municipal offices was granted by the municipality's "security cluster".

The permission was based on a "verbal agreement" with a "senior unknown" member of the ANC, according to Malebye.

It was agreed that the container would be left in the municipality's parking ground.

Locals started complaining of a "funny smell" coming from the container on Monday.

Said Thuso Matodzi: "They should have divided the food up on Sunday instead of waiting until today. Now they are giving the poor people expired food."

The white container, with Matima Enterprises Chillers Hire written on its sides, was moved from the parking ground to the ANC constituency offices a few metres away after media inquiries yesterday morning.

It costs R1200 to rent the container for a weekend.

Blood-stained paving at the municipal offices had been cleaned before The Times arrived yesterday.

But flies were seen circling and settling where blood had dripped from the container.

The stench extended to 5m away.

ANC ward 24 chairman Tseleng Mathabe claimed the local health and environment officer had checked the meat and declared it safe for human consumption.

Maria Molepo, one of the recipients of the food, said she was not concerned about it being rotten because "meat does not expire".

"We cook the rot out of the meat and eat it.

"We are Africans and Africans do not throw food away. We take what we receive."