City puts measures in place to minimise rat population

As with all large cities throughout the world with an ever increasing population, the problem of rat infestation in Cape Town is a reality, but steps are being taken by the City to curb the problem. Read more below.

In the interests of creating a Safe City for all our residents, the City of Cape Town has put in place a number of initiatives to, as much as we are able, minimise the problem of rat infestation (see Premier Helen Zille's Tweet below).

The primary cause of rat infestation is the prevalence of food waste. In areas with high rat populations, it has been found that some residents dump their rubbish next to collection bins rather than inside them, or leave their rubbish out on days other than collection day.

In order to address the increase in rat populations the City has done the following:

• Appointed waste contractors to collect waste in both formal and informal areas throughout the city.
• Provided rodent-proof dumping containers across the city.
• City Health performs on-going community and school education on the health risks of poor waste management.
• In accordance with international best practice, the City proactively manages the areas where rodent breeding occurs by means of traditional baiting methods and the enforcement of applicable legislation. Baiting has been increased over the last few years, particularly in the breeding seasons of spring and autumn.
• City Health has budgeted R530 843,00 for the purchase of rat poisons. This amount excludes the staff salaries and vehicle costs for the teams doing the block baiting.
• Special pest control project partnerships have been undertaken in areas well known to be affected by rodents.
• A complaints-based, reactive pest control service is provided to previously disadvantaged communities.
• City Health has made use of funding via the Expanded Public Works Programme to train previously unemployed persons to distribute pamphlets, advise how to control rats and monitor baiting points in informal settlements. 
• In Khayelitsha alone, 17 685 block-baiting stations have been serviced since July 2012.
• Business premises such as hotels, restaurants and food outlets are routinely visited by Environmental Health Practitioners, to check they have rodent control programmes in place. Where these programmes are inadequate the owner of the business is asked to remedy the situation in terms of the applicable legislation.
• In the CBD, we have engaged in a public/private partnership project with the Cape Town Central City Improvement District which further aims to reduce the rodent population of the CBD whilst creating capacity building and skills development opportunities for four previously unemployed persons, who are assisting City Health's Environmental Health staff with the project implementation.

We appeal to residents to help us curb the rat problem by keeping their area clean of all solid waste and by disposing of waste correctly. The City will continue doing as much as we can to provide a safe and hygienic environment for all the people that live in this city.

Statement issued by Councillor Lungiswa James, Mayoral Committee Member for Health, City of Cape Town, March 20 2013

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