A Cape Flats reverend, who has been feeding the needy from his home for 27 years, has won a court battle against the City of Cape Town, nearly a year after he was accused of noise pollution.
The State last week withdrew the case against Reverend Cecil Begbie, the owner of the church-run soup kitchen in Lansdowne.
The soup kitchen had faced closure after two noise complaints were lodged with the City by his neighbours.
On Friday, the 71-year-old holy man appeared before the Wynberg Magistrates’ Court where he was informed that the case was withdrawn.
He faced a charge under the Notice in terms of section 3(b) By-Law Relating to Noise Nuisance at his home in August 2016.
Reverend Begbie is a minister of the Methodist Church of Southern Africa, a commissioner of oaths and a marriage officer.
He is also the founder and president of HELP Ministries International Trust.
Begbie says the charge was withdrawn because there was no evidence that he had contravened the noise by-law.
He is now allowed to continue with his soup kitchen which he runs on an open field near his home.
He says the whole debacle came down to spite.
He said in court documents that his neighbour, who had been employed to assist in the soup kitchen, and another person, were accused of stealing bread meant for the needy.
Shortly after this, City officials visited his home and accused him of excessive noise.
Begbie said: “We have the infrastructure consisting of 44 gas burners which can cook 44 x 35 litre pots of soup, vegetable peeler and cutting machines, fridges and deep freezers, and a long wheelbase van to enable us to feed 5000 school children and 1000 unemployed adults with soup and bread on a daily basis.
“The City Council of Cape Town and their Metro Police, as well as our neighbours, should rather think of supporting us and contributing towards the running of the soup kitchen instead of persecuting and harassing us in this manner in order to close it down.”