Centurion residents blindsided after relocation of homeless to sports ground
"What is the plan of action when the lockdown period expires? What will happen to these people? Are they going to stay on the premises for an undisclosed amount of time? Will gates be shut?"
Due to overcrowding at the Caledonian stadium in Arcadia, authorities were forced to relocate homeless people to alternative makeshift shelters.
However, Centurion residents were blindsided when over 250 people were relocated to Lyttelton sports ground on Monday morning.
The homeless were transported by Tshwane metro buses.
Former local ward councillor, Johan van Buuren, said ward councillors will go and investigate the state of affairs at the site this afternoon and will report to the metro as soon as they have more clarity on the situation.
“The reason for the relocation is unknown to us,” said Van Buuren.
“It has caused great concern among residents in the area, who feel their safety is in jeopardy.
“The relocation has not been thought through. The lack of infrastructure is not conducive to accommodating the homeless,” he said.
READ MORE: Police ‘satisfied’ with Tshwane lockdown enforcement
“Residents have informed me that there is no security control in place to monitor the number of people who enter or exit the premises.
“What is the plan of action when the lockdown period expires? What will happen to these people? Are they going to stay on the premises for an undisclosed amount of time? Will gates be shut?”
“These are some concerns we will bring to the metro’s attention,” said Van Buuren.
DA spokesperson for social development and a member of provincial legislature, Crezane Bosch, said homelessness was also a humanitarian issue, and it was a concern that the homeless community had been moved so far from their ordinary places of security.
“When attempting to address homelessness, we should also attempt to engage the homeless community themselves as to what they would prefer in a time such as this,” said Bosch.
“We cannot afford to have a similar situation as what played out at Caledonian where there was not sufficient preparation or amenities made available for the homeless community.
“NGOs will require adequate support to manage the new makeshift shelter at Lyttleton and we will submit enquiries as to what kind of support has been provided to them as well as what precautions and measures have been put in place to ensure that not only the safety and health risks of the homeless within the shelter but also the community at large are prioritised during lockdown.
READ MORE: Homeless vulnerable to Covid-19 – DA
“We further believe that as we approach the final week of the lockdown, provincial government should engage with the local municipalities to ensure that the remainder of the time is used to start preparation for in-transit shelters and social housing schemes within vacant buildings as an attempt to find long-term solutions in this regard,” concluded Bosch.
According to Suzette Strydom of Centurion Haven of Hope the people from Caledonian stadium were relocated due to heavy rains in the area last week.
“Do they have any records of people entering the premises? On Monday blankets were handed out to the people. Some left the premises with blankets. There is no security at the gates whatsoever to monitor the procedure,” Strydom said.
“Although the relocation of these people has left us in the dark, now is the time to take hands and roll out a plan of action as to how to take care of the needy and homeless when the lockdown period has come to an end.
READ MORE: Old age home in need of basic essentials during lockdown
“NPOs like Hennops Revival and Centurion Haven of Hope are doing a fantastic job to feed the homeless during this period,” said Strydom.
Resident George James said he was not informed by authorities about the relocating of people just kilometres from him home.
“Most residents are uncertain of what exactly is happening at the sports grounds. We have not been informed regarding the relocating of the homeless. It seems that there are no social distancing protocols in place. It is a huge concern for us as residents as it looks like no safety measures have been put in place to control the spread of the virus,” said James.
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