‘Beggars’ banquet’: Sea Point councillor out of touch

MY WEEK ended on a frustrating note after the Facebook post of the Sea Point councillor who lets rip about the homeless in Sea Point.

Councillor Shayne Ramsay insults the local police by claiming they can’t control the vagrants. (I wish people would stop referring to us as vagrants.) Someone needs to inform her the duty of police officers is to serve and protect – not chasing after homeless people.

Then, the mere fact she acknowledges that homeless people scratch in bins for food says it all: “Our garbage bins are treated like buffet tables.”

Councillor, do you know what it is like to be so hungry that you go through bins to find something to eat?

And this, dear reader, is proof of how some people in power cannot deal with social issues. “Let us get rid of them by slapping them with a by-law. Let’s treat them like criminals.”

In their eyes, we are nothing more than a “domestic pest”. You and your by-laws. Being homeless is not a crime. Where does the hate towards homeless people come from?

There is one very important annual social event that brings Capetonians together: the switching on of the Christmas lights in the city. People come from near and far for this event.

We also have a night market where there is a lot of fun to be had. I am a proud Capetonian!

And we need to thank the people who work so hard to get it all operational. Without them… no lights!

This is also one of the most stressful times. You have to bear in-laws and family members you normally don’t hang out with. Many husbands will get: “Honey, do I look fat in this?” And you cannot get your head around the fact it takes more than one hour to slip into that little black dress.

But, in spite of it all, we come together to celebrate the birth of Christ. To exchange carefully selected gifts, lovingly wrapped. (Okay, so the electric can opener was a bad idea, but it is the thought that counts.)

This time of the year, many NGOs and the public prepare a Christmas party for us with an awesome meal. And there are gifts for all.

This year, the main event will be on December 11. And I am very grateful, as it is a time of the year when everybody is stressed out and busy with their own festive arrangements.

But for some of us, Christmas Day is a bitter-sweet day. Memories of family and loved ones we no longer have contact with due to our wrongdoings. Some had to flee their homes and are now living here on the streets due to gang/drug violence.

Whatever the reason, for some of us it is the saddest time of the year. We have lost our sense of belonging.

Do you have a loved one living on the streets you want to reconnect with? Mail me: masekind321@gmail.com.