In the North West, over 2 000 homeless people were identified and accommodated in four districts. In the Bojanala district, more than 70 people were accommodated in the Ben Marais Hall.
During a recent visit by SABC News, the temporary residents expressed concern about their living conditions. They alleged that social distancing was not being observed and they were sleeping in an open space. They had allegedly also not been screened for coronavirus before they entered the facility.
The MEC for Social Development in North West Boitumelo Moiloa has since stepped in and a decision was made to relocate the homeless.
“There is no social distancing, two, the ablution facilities, you will know that in the hall we do not have a system where we can say we have showers. The other thing is that it is winter and it is cold, it is just an open space. They sleep on the floor with mattresses and blankets.”
The group has now been moved to the Rustenburg Recreation Centre. The new facility has chalets with two beds per room and a shower. They are now also benefiting from educational programmes. The homeless say this is a great improvement.
“It is 10 times better and it is open. We get more attention than how were treated previously, “ says one of them.
However, it is not all rosy. Government says it is worried that some of the homeless pose a risk of bringing COVID-19 to the premises.
“ Sometimes the withdrawal symptoms makes them go out for a fix. But we have developed a strategy, that we going to have security and also we are going to have the norms and standards,” says Moiloa.
The department has also begun reuniting some of the homeless with their families.
In the video below, homeless people in Pretoria raise the same concerns raised by their counterparts in Rustenburg:
