There was an altercation with law enforcement when some of the people at the Strandfontein camp tried to break down a fence. Picture: Ashraf Hendricks / GroundUp
A 36-year-old man has been arrested for the rape of an 18-year-old woman at the tent the city set up to shelter Cape Town’s homeless on a sports field in Strandfontein during the country’s Covid-19 lockdown.
“According to the victim, the incident occurred on Wednesday evening, but it was only reported on Friday night,” police spokesperson Captain FC van Wyk said.
The 36-year-old is expected to appear in the Mitchells Plain Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday.
The facility at Strandfontein has been bogged down in controversy for various reasons, which range from criticism directed at the City of Cape Town for the type of accommodation offered, to complaints from residents in the immediate vicinity who say they have not been consulted about the camp.
It is on a sports field and critics say that it is not set up properly, has no beds and no proper ablution facilities.
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