There is currently a lack of health, social services for homeless: SAHRC

The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) says there is currently a lack of health and social services for homeless people who have been moved to the City of Cape Town’s shelter for the homeless in Strandfontein.

SAHRC says currently, there is a lack of health and social services for homeless people who have been moved to the City of Cape Town’s shelter for the homeless in Strandfontein near Mitchell’s Plain.

The SAHRC’s statement comes after it received an independent assessment which international Non-Governmental Organisation, Doctors Without Borders, conducted to determine if the shelter was complying with basic of human rights.

Western Cape Human Rights’ Commissioner, Chris Nissen, says the assessment found that the homeless people living at the shelter had inadequate health and social services.

The shelter was established as part of the City’s efforts to combat the spread of COVID-19.

In this video below,Focuses on the light of the homeless people:

Nissen says they will scrutinise the report, before deciding the way forward.

Earlier in April political analyst Tinyiko Maluleke said it’s shameful that it took the coronavirus for government to remember that there are homeless people, as well as those without water.

As part of the lockdown measures, government placed all homeless people in temporary shelters across the country to curb the spread of COVID-19.

We are unveiling the new home for the homeless. We have now accommodated the last group of the homeless that needed shell. Thanks to all our social partners ⁦@gpgSocDev⁩ #GrowingGautengTogether pic.twitter.com/d1cUtzAq2D

— Panyaza Lesufi (@Lesufi) April 6, 2020

The government has also been providing tanks for people without water, especially in rural areas and informal settlements.

Maluleke said it’s worrying that government has been reactive in providing the basic services it should have been providing on a regular basis.

“I suppose if we stretch our minds, we could see these government interventions for the homeless, the rural and the poor as positive. But, it’s a shame. It’s a shame that we had to wait for coronavirus before our government could think of buying Jojo tanks for poor people without water in rural areas. It’s a shame that we had to wait for coronavirus for government to begin to think about the homeless people in our cities and try to do something about their situation. I think it’s a crying shame.”