Homelessness increasing in Pretoria – NGOs

There’s a need for more food and shelter as the number of destitute people living on the streets of the capital is increasing, NGOs in Pretoria say.

Residents have taken to social media to comment on about the rise in homeless people living in parks, with destitute people living all around Pretoria.

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People do Care founder Ruth Jacobs has been feeding homeless people in her area for close to a past decade.

She said she was currently aware of about 300 homeless people in Pretoria North.

“At this stage, we are just looking for blankets to give to the destitute. There is a big need for blankets this winter,” she said.

Wayne van Onselen from Unchain Our Children said the increase in destitute people had a lot to do with substance abuse.

“Families are tired of children with addictions running away from home and refusing medical treatment, so they give up,” he said.

Van Onselen said more and more people were ending up on the streets, with no shelters to turn to for help. Ward councillor in Sunnyside Shaun Wilkinson said residents frequently complained about the homeless people in the area.

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“It’s a big problem. So many are homeless but there’s simply no shelter for them,” he said.

“Residents say, ‘move them’. Where to? We can’t just move them to another town,” he added. Wilkinson said the government should do more at a national, provincial and local level.

“Because some of them are addicts, society isn’t willing to take care of them or help them. They are considered as disposable people,” he said.

Councillor in Pretoria North Quinton Meyer said he didn’t have a problem with homeless people, but he did have a problem with the mess they created.