A MTHATHA eatery claims it is losing customers because of an “unbearable” stink from a pile of uncollected rubbish, which municipal workers are refusing to remove.

That’s because medical waste has been found in the smelly litter.

Zodwa Somacala, the supervisor of Pie City, on the corner of Madeira Street and Elliot Road, said the rubbish has not been collected for a month after municipal workers found the medical waste.

“They showed us a couple of used syringes and told us they cannot collect it. They told us that they are not allowed even to touch it,” Somacala said.

A week later, the municipal workers again came to collect the rubbish but when they noticed the medical waste had still not been collected, they left without picking up anything.

“We are losing a lot (of business) because of the smell, it is terrible. The situation is even worse on hot days,” she said.

Contacted about the growing pile of trash, municipal spokesperson Sonwabo Mampoza said the municipal workers were right for not collecting the rubbish when they noticed the used syringes.

“The municipal dump site in not meant for medical waste,” he said.

http://www.dispatch.co.za/article.aspx?id=432176