Foreign nationals living on Cape Town’s Albertus Street ready to be relocated

A group of foreign nationals who’ve been living on the sidewalks of Albertus Street, in the Cape Town CBD, says it is ready to be relocated.

More ablution facilities, including showers, have been added to the tented accommodation for foreign nationals in Bellville in Cape Town. However, there’s still concern over the number of people crammed into the marquees.

Each marquee can accommodate up to 600 people.

The foreign nationals were relocated to Belville from the Central Methodist Church in the Cape Town CBD on Thursday. They say they are not happy with their new accommodation.

37-year-old Congolese national, Aline Bukuru, says they sleep on the floor without any mattresses.

“We are sleeping on the floor with no mattress and it is cold in the tent. There are no covers or blankets for our kids and there is no breakfast. We only get food once from Gift of the Givers. So the situation is not good.”

In the video below, foreign nationals in Cape Town say that they are unhappy with their living conditions. 

ANC Councillor Xolani Sotashe also visited the group in Bellville. He says 800 people are crammed into a marquee meant for 600 people.

Sotashe says the foreign nationals cannot live this way.

City of Cape Town Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security JP Smith says the site in Bellville was announced at the last minute. He says city officials are preparing another site for the foreign nationals in Wingfield, near Maitland.

“The site has already been cleared and some services have gone in. We await the arrival of the tents, which will be put up and as soon as all of that is done, we will start with relocating the refugees in Albertus Street, who are still on the sidewalk, to that site. It may also then happen that the refugees that are at Paint City are relocated so that they are consolidated, which will make service delivery and support for them more easy.”

For now, it remains unclear when a group of foreign nationals living on Albertus Street in the Cape Town CBD will be relocated.

In the video below, foreign nationals camping on Albertus Street say they are ready to be relocated: