16 000 homeless recorded in Durban
More than 16 000 homeless were found across eThekwini Municipal, although only 2 156 were interviewed, and the rest were recorded in a head count.
DURBAN is a city recently hit by the devastating impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic, July unrest of 2021 and the recent April and May floods. In the midst of economic strain, job losses and destruction, the city’s homeless population has risen to 16 000.
This according to spokesperson for eThekwini Municipality Msawakhe Mayisela.
“The city undertook an On Time Survey in June 2022. More than 16 000 homeless were found across eThekwini Municipal area – only 2 156 were interviewed, and the rest were recorded in a head count,” said Mayisela, adding that the number of homeless people in Durban increased during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Of the 10 shelters set up during Covid-19, three continue to operate: Strollers houses 142 people; Block AK, 159 people, and the Durban Jewish Shelter houses 251 people.
“At Block AK, the administrative process is underway to establish a permanent Safe Sleeping Space which will accommodate at least 300 men and allow the City to decommission the temporal shelters that are currently used by males. The City is also working towards the development of the Homeless Policy which will allow for better collaboration and coordination with various stakeholders to address homelessness in the city,” said Mayisela.
For Director of the Denis Hurley Centre, Raymond Perrier, the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic were worsened by the riots and floods – all of which have added to the number of people without shelter.
“Most people are homeless because they cannot find work, and the recent events have made the economic situation in Durban even worse. We serve about 700 meals each day (breakfast, cooked lunch and an evening snack) to between 250 and 300 people who turn up each day. That will mean about 180 000 meals in 2022,” said Perrier.
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SAPS operations
In a bid to curb crime in the city, Durban Central SAPS and Metro Police conducted a disruptive clean-up operation last week. According to the spokesperson for the Durban Central SAPS, Captain Muzi Maphumulo, 150 homeless people were picked up during the operation and checked for criminal links through stop-and-search patrols in the Central Business District.
“There is a suspicion that some of the people living on the streets are involved with crimes. Those who are linked to crimes were arrested. Others were connected to shelters or given transport back to their respective homes. We involved social workers to assist people to go back to their homes. We will continue these operations as we have seen a reduction of crime. We want to assure the community that police in Durban will continue to curb crime in the city. We are working tirelessly in partnership with Metro Police,” said Maphumulo.
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For Perrier, however, operations to relocate the homeless raise several issues.
“Operations like this are expensive and rarely achieve anything positive. The people who are moved are still homeless – they are just homeless somewhere else. Hiding a problem does not solve it. Usually people choose to be homeless in the CBD for various reasons – access to possible casual work, access to NGO services, places to sleep, support from their own community – and so when people are moved, after a few days, they usually come back again,” said Perrier.
Homeless man returns on foot
Wesley Booyse, who has been living on the Durban streets since 2019, said he was removed from the CBD last week and returned to the city a day after a lengthy journey on foot.
“I was sleeping in the Point area. At about 02:00, police woke me and threw my bag into a dump truck. I was taken in a truck and dropped off in Stanger,” said Booyse. “I started walking, and after about an hour, a truck driver stopped and picked me up. I was back in Durban between 06:00 and 07:00.”
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Sihle Gwala, who has lived on the street since 2011, shared a similar story.
“I lost my ID book, clothes; I lost everything. I was left in Tongaat. I feel so bad. It’s hard to come back to the city – it’s far, and you are hungry,” he said.
Booyse added that his cellphone, cash, ID book and clothes were lost in the raid. Despite this, he made the trip back into the CBD to pursue work opportunities.
“I don’t have family – I grew up in a children’s home – I have no support system. I came back to Durban because there are churches here that help me. I am walking a road with them and building trust. I also offer to wash people’s cars in Durban, and people know me. Whatever income I make, I use to put myself in a shelter. Durban is a city with more opportunities. Stanger is a small community, and if you are an outsider there, people don’t like you,” he said.
Booyse found himself on the street in 2019 after he moved to Durban looking for work.
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