Manager Carol Rennie said whoever put forward the claims is just looking to stir the water.
“Some people just love trouble,” she added.
A Salvation Army Crises Care Centre alleged that black people are not allowed to stay at the Salvation Army.
“They are turned away as soon as they reach the gate,” HE/SHE alleged.
The resident further claimed that they are shouted and sworn at on a daily basis, and that they are thrown into the streets if they dare question the manager.
The resident also did not understand “why we are charged rent while the place receives donations”.
Rennie said there are black people living at the Salvation Army.
“We turn away people of all races if we don’t have a bed for them, as we can’t take people in, just to let them sleep on the floor,” she said.
She said they ask only people who do not want to follow the rules to leave.
“We have simple rules here; like we don’t allow people to bring in alcohol or to smoke drugs, and we expect them to keep their rooms and the place clean,” she said.
“We also want people to let us know when they go away on weekends, so that we don’t end up cooking food that nobody is going to eat.
“Some people just disappear and expect to find their beds available whenever they decide to come back, and we don’t work like that, as we are a crisis centre and we can’t be keeping beds for people when we have no idea if they are coming back or not.”
Rennie added that sometimes people who just disappear leave them with the trouble of phoning hospitals, mortuaries and police stations, to check on them.
Rennie said she has been working at the Salvation Army since 1978.
“I never shout at anyone, it’s not in my nature, and I never moan; people live a very nice life here,” she said, adding that she has no favourites and that she is working there for the benefit of the house.
“I answer to the the church minister and the tenants answer to me,” she added.
She confirmed that people do pay rent.
“There is no demand, but we expect people who work to contribute,” she said.
Rennie said the centre is currently housing 75 people and electricity can, at times, cost up to R30 000 per month.
She said the ceiling rental price is R700.
“We also have two shops that contribute to our wellbeing,” she added.
