Council has no clear plan for helping city’s homeless
THERE are two things in life I despise: People taking me for granted and people patronising me. Or shall I say us? An all-inclusive city… it will never happen. It seems now that Blikkiesdorp is full to capacity we can look forward to Wolwerivier, 30km north of Cape Town.
Riana Pretorius, executive director of human settlements, has listed other sites as well as part of the relocation camps. These areas are the worst of the worst. They’re now going to dump us there. Pray tell me: What are we going to do there and how are we going to financially support ourselves?
The city has no clear plan. It is way easier to just dump us in a camp. And Mr Hassan Khan from the Haven shelters got the monopoly and basically dictates to the city how we should be treated.
It might have worked 10 years ago, but today the homeless have different needs. One cannot only rely on sending people back home. The dynamics have changed. I would also love to know what happened with the over R800 000 donation the Haven received last year. Seems there is money to be made from the homeless.
I have seen the responses to some issues regarding removals and homeless people from the public and I get the feeling that some people out there are getting fed up with the city saying one thing, then doing another. And we would like to thank you, the readers, for keeping up to date with these issues.
Rentals in Cape Town are out of proportion. One simply can’t even find a room to rent in a house or flat for under R3 200 per month. So we’re kinda doomed. And living in a shelter, as you all know, is just short term.
With the shuffling of people at the city’s social development, no one knows what is going on behind the scene. With JP Smith as head of the department, we are all waiting to see what his next step will be. I can predict forced removals. There is a a history of sending people to Blikkiesdorp.
I am happy that “Reclaim the City” is actively engaging in supporting the plight of homelessness.
The families who lived in the city for many, many years are evicted to Wolwerivier Camp. Shame on you, City of Cape Town! It smells like apartheid all over again!
The mayor should go back to the time of Frieda, a homeless girl who was with Linzi Thomas at MyLife. She had so much compassion back then for the homeless.
Now for something more cheerful: SouperTroopers had a function for the homeless last Sunday. Kerry Hoffman and her volunteers did a smashing job. I reckon this is the only time we homeless get to socialise and connect with the public.
She has such great plans for the future. Job creation and skills development is on the cards. She is passion personified when it comes to the homeless.
(masekind321@gmail.com)