Homeless people around Durban are accusing the Metro police of harassing them when they sleep on pavements because they have no alternative shelter. They were talking at a public workshop on homelessness in Durban.
There are about 6 000 homeless people in the city. Some of the people who live on the streets are using drugs, while others are involved in crime.
Among the homeless people in Durban is the 54-year old Philisiwe Ngcemu, who became homeless in 2014 after her business as street vendor failed.
“I ended up living in the streets because I failed to rent the place where I was staying. I was doing my business… I was a street vendor. Where I dropped down from, there it’s Metro police who used to come and take our stuff; after that sometimes you don’t get the money to go and stock, so I ended up failing to pay my rent where I was staying… then I decided to go and stay in the streets because I didn’t have any place to stay.”
Various non-governmental organisations in Durban provide homeless people with food and necessities like soap and sanitary towels. eThekwini deputy mayor, Fawzia Peer, says the municipality wants to control how services such as food are provided to the homeless.
“You get NGOs feeding the homeless people in the beaches closer to the beaches… and if the homeless person is not happy with the food that is given to him or her, he then throws the food down on the sand, and that then causes the problem for the city. We will put all the NGOs together and plan one coordinated action towards giving out food.”
