Newcastle municipality hauls Action SA mayoral candidate to court

Action SA's mayoral candidate in the Newcastle municipality, accused of polluting the Amcor Dam and Ncandu River in an attempt to garner support in the upcoming election, has been ordered to close his laundry business for 30 days.

The municipality hauled Faizel Cassim, the owner of a laundry, to the Pietermaritzburg high court after accusing him of contaminating the water sources with chemicals from his factory, filming the “magical foam” and pretending to be a whistle-blower when he posted video footage of the pollution on social media.

Newcastle municipal spokesperson Mlungisi Khumalo said the court ordered the business to cease operations for 30 days and Cassim was stopped from disposing more effluent and contaminants into the storm water drainage and sewer system.

“The Pietermaritzburg high court ruling is not a victory for the municipality, but a victory for the residents of Newcastle who wish to see a thriving ecosystem, which includes clean sources of water and flourishing marine life. The municipality hopes that the court ruling will send a strong message to environmental delinquents who have little regard for nature,” Khumalo said. “Considering this ruling, Newcastle municipality mayor Dr Ntuthuko Mahlaba has called for a team of environmental experts together with the municipality to immediately establish a strategy to cleans Amcor Dam and surrounding water sources,” he said.

Cassim told TimesLIVE on Tuesday that the allegations against him were false and “politically motivated” as he is the mayoral elect for Newcastle municipality under Action SA.

Cassim didn't respond to queries about the court action.

TimesLIVE