Cape Town - The Department of Public works and Infrastructure has begun fumigating MP’s houses amid an infestation of snakes in the area.
Last November, MPs complained about the spate of snakes at the villages with one of them describing the snakes, as “a security threat of a different type.”
This prompted DA MP Madeleine Hicklin to write to De Lille asking when a permanent contract for facility managers would be finalised, so that appropriate horticultural services would be available at the parliamentary villages.
Hicklin said that Laboria Park was infested with snakes, rats and frogs and that the grass in both parliamentary villages had not been cut in over a year.
In her written response, De Lille said the department’s facilities management contract would become effective in the next two months.
“The said the contract will provide the appropriate horticultural services required to adequately maintain the grounds at the three parliamentary villages."
The minister added that a snake and mole programme had been implemented at Acacia Park in the interim.
De Lille revealed that a snake repellent would be sprayed around the houses and fumigation tablets would be dropped into the mole tunnels.
“For December 2021, the snake repellent and tablets will be administered on a weekly basis, where after from January 2022 a call will be logged to continue the programme, which will be on a need basis until the facilities management contract becomes effective,” she said.
De Lille said there were no reported infestation of snakes, rats and frogs in the Laboria Park parliamentary village.
“However, should any of these become prevalent in the said or any parliamentary village, the same treatment would be provided as is currently the case in Acacia Park."
She also rejected the claim that the grass had not been cut in over a year at Laboria Park.
Political Bureau