Drug addicts killing businesses in Pietermaritzburg

Aryan Benevolent Home (ABH) residents in Pietermaritz Street feel trapped in the facility as the proliferation of drug addicts in the area keep them behind locked gates.

Businesses in the area are also affected, with business owners, experiencing their customer numbers dwindling following a number of bag-snatchings directed at their customers by whoonga addicts.

The community does not feel safe since the drug addicts started to roam around the street causing trouble.

A senior representative from the home said the demolition of the Ematsheni Beer Hall in 2017 has led to the addicts moving all around town wreaking havoc.

“We can’t even take the elderly for walks around the Nelson Mandela Park, which is situated across the road from the home. These addicts are all over the place and they even hang their blankets on the park fence. Our residents can’t have a social life, and essentially visitors are reluctant to visit their relatives,” said the representative.

A social worker at the home, Karusha Reddy, said they did not feel threatened inside the premises of the home. However, they are overwhelmed by the strong scent of urine in front of the building.

“For us, the main concern is that visitors fear for their safety, and for those reasons they pick days to visit which is mostly on Sundays when the road is a bit clear and quiet,” said Reddy.

Families who have their loved ones living at the home feel awful about their safety.

One of the families, whose father has been at the home since 2007, said the drug addicts knock on their windows demanding food and money, which makes them even more scared now to visit their dad. They said they have to be vigilant at all times during their weekend visits.

Lorraine Annand, whose mother is also at the facility, said their safety is threatened for the first time in the seven years that her mother has been living in ABH.

“ABH is secure, but we have to wait for the gates to be open. Those few minutes on the street are scary, so many homeless and drug addicts loitering that area. We urge the relevant authorities in charge of combatting the situation to find the homeless people shelter or accommodation since the area has badly deteriorated, with refuse on the streets and the smell of urine.

"[The addicts] should not be on the street under such conditions, which is also affecting businesses and the lives of those living there. [Their situation] is sad and inhumane. Make our city better, so it can be our City of Choice,” she said.

Multi Mart manager, Susheela Naidoo, said they no longer have the freedom to go outside for lunch in fear of being robbed. Naidoo said she had an employee resigning promptly after one of the addicts snatched their phone just outside the business premises.

“Their presence and awful crimes threaten our customers’ safety, we barely have a business to run,” said Naidoo.

An anonymous business manager from the same street said they frequently have one homeless man who just comes into the store and steals a bunch of their marketing pamphlets.

According to the manager, their business is “massively” declining in their branch and foresees a close of business in a couple of months.

Pietermaritzburg police spokesperson Sergeant Sifiso Gwala said the police had an operation which led to the arrest of 30 addicts living on Pietermaritz Street.

“They get arrested on the basis of being in possession of drugs. Police further arrested 15 of these people [last week]. However, what happens after they had been arrested is determined by the court of law. We urge those who have opened cases to follow up by checking the status of their cases, so that they can be trailed. Drug addiction is a nationwide struggle, one that can be fought in unison with the relevant departments,” said Gwala.

Msunduzi Municipal spokesperson Ntobeko Mkhize said the city has seen an increase in the number of people living in the streets and this has also contributed to the high numbers of crime and beggars.

She said the office of the mayor was leading a programme working with NGOs.

"The aim is to provide a holistic solution to homelessness and the associated social issues. A shelter has been identified, however, it is not functioning at this stage.

This problem also has an impact on the city's infrastructure such as stormwater drains and street lights. The municipality has intensified its bylaw enforcement though weekly operations aimed at addressing the violations," said Mkhize.