Cape Town - Five people were arrested on Tuesday afternoon for dumping human waste in the departure terminal at Cape Town International Airport, Western Cape police said.
“Police are still on the scene to monitor the situation and will take action if (necessary),” Lt-Col Andre Traut said.
The five would appear in court once charged.
Acting airport spokeswoman Deborah Francis said the group apparently pretended to be passengers and carried plastic bags through to the domestic and international departures terminal at about 1.30pm.
“It happened literally within a few split seconds... They threw it, jumped back into the cars and sped off,” she said.
The group was then apprehended by police.
Francis said the airport was a national key point.
“The scene was handed over to the SA Police Service, and the area has been demarcated. Once they've assessed everything, there are Hazmat consultants that will clean up.”
Francis said the incident had not resulted in any operational delays, and two entrances in the terminal hall remained open.
Two weeks ago, 183 people were arrested on public violence charges at the Esplanade train station in Woodstock for carrying portable flush toilets and human waste in blue municipal bags placed in milk crates.
They apparently also sang freedom songs which included a reference to Western Cape premier Helen Zille as a dog.
The group appeared in court, was released on warning, and told to return on August 2 after further investigation.
The State was unsuccessful in its bid to block bail for former councillor and ANC Youth League member Andile Lili, and Yandani Kulati and Thembela Mbanjwa.
At the start of the month, a group of people in Khayelitsha threw human waste at a bus and cars used for transport to a green economy event hosted by Zille.
A day before that, two men dumped faeces on the steps of the Western Cape legislature in a protest about portable flush toilets (PFTs).
The men identified themselves to the Cape Argus newspaper at the time as Lili and ANC proportional councillor and youth league member Loyiso Nkohla.
The protests were linked to the apparent dissatisfaction by some communities over sanitation in informal settlements and rolling out PFTs.
ANCYL national task team co-ordinator Magasela Mzobe said the ANCYL distanced itself from faeces throwing, but not from raising poor service delivery.
“We are (telling) them that there is a better way that we can employ in raising the plight of our people without having to throw faeces all over the province,” he said.
“If they do not listen to that, we are forced then to look at the internal processes of disciplinary action.”
- Sapa
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