A PHOTO showing a number of shacks alongside the Beachwood Golf Course has caused a stir on social media. The photo taken by Chris Hoare, was shared on Facebook and quickly garnered anger because of the spread of the shacks. Residents in the area have expressed a growing concern over the spread of the vagrancy in the area. Durban North resident, Dave Ward, said he was shocked by the photo and said concerns regarding community and beach safety have now been raised.
“In the last six months, the situation has gotten worse. Vagrants have spread to every part of the ward and this is a problem because they are being well-fed and taken care of, why would they want to leave. My concern is for the safety of residents in the area and for beach goers. I can’t say that every vagrant is a criminal but there is a criminal element among the vagrants which is concerning. The photo is quite disturbing because if the shacks multiply, you could be looking at a settlement in the bushes,” Ward said.
Thuthukani Ngozo of the Land Invasion Unit said he was aware of the shacks and was planning an operation with the Durban North SAPS to deal with the problem.
“The problem of vagrancy is widespread and I urge residents to report settlements like this one to our unit. We are planning an operation with the Durban North SAPS which targets vagrants in the area,” he said.
His thoughts were echoed by Capt Raymond Deokaran, spokesman for the Durban North SAPS, who said there is an operation to address vagrancy in the bushes along the beach.
“The raids are part of an ongoing initiative to root out vagrants from the area. In the past we have cleared out a few settlements, including one found in the nature trail behind the Danville Sports Ground. We have received complaints from residents in the area and though I cannot say all vagrants are criminals, we believe there is a criminal element using vagrancy in the area as a cloak,” he said.
