Drug rehabilitation is the key to ending homelessness in Durban.
This was the message as eThekwini Municipality celebrated World Homeless Day at the Bellhaven Memorial Centre at the weekend by looking back at some of the achievements it has made in recent months.
According to the City, it has successfully rehabilitated 60 homeless people and reunited a further 171 with their families through their initiatives during the lockdown.
“The plea is that places like Bellhaven and harm reduction centres are provided with the resources, capacity and the skills that allow us to continue to provide the services that are sorely needed for our homeless community,” said Professor Monique Marks, a drug expert who was heading up the harm reduction programme.
When the country went into lockdown in March, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the City had to scramble to build temporary shelters for its more than 2000 homeless citizens. The City used the opportunity to introduce drug rehabilitation programmes and also equip some of the homeless people with computer and agricultural skills.
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Sakhile Nsibande, (29), is one of two homeless people who are now studying at a higher education institute after receiving assistance from the city and public.
Nqobile Shabalala, a mother and reformed drug addict said she had been on the Durban streets for over 15 years and did not think her life would ever change, until the Covid-19 pandemic came.
“When we came here (to the homeless shelters) some of us smoked whoonga and rock. We used to vomit and get sick but they stood with us through all that,” she said.
“I don’t imagine myself ever going to go back to drugs now as the municipality is busy now trying to get us our identity documents and prepare us for a future where we can look for work and be better providers for our children,” said Shabalala.
Mthokozisi Mathonsi is stationed at the homeless shelter on Sylvester Ntuli Road where they have created a vegetable garden on a plot of unused land.
“We all have different stories about how we ended up here, some come from abusive homes, some did something bad, others like me lost their jobs and lost their way nevertheless we decided to work together as a family and plant vegetables and show that we can make something,” said Mathonsi.
Belinda Scott, Deputy Mayor of eThekwini Municipality, has committed to finding free permanent homeless shelters.
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