Street dancer could cause accidents in Standerton
The community is up in arms with a man dancing in the street at the intersection of Krogh and Beyers Naude streets.
Residents expressed on social media their outrage over a man who has consistently been spotted in the middle of the road at the intersection of Beyers Naude and Krogh streets.
According to community members, this man has been seen jaywalking, dancing in front of cars and lying down in the middle of the road. Some have indicated he might be deranged.
The municipality is working on by-laws which will allow homeless people in the community to choose rehabilitation.
These by-laws will allow people on the streets to reform themselves and rejoin society, but they are not yet in effect. Ward 10 Clr Wilma Venter said this man is a threat to motorists and traffic control must remove him.
The community is united in believing the man needs urgent psychological care but it does not seem the Beyers Naude Street dancer has many care options working in his favour.
“Currently, the SAVF shelter is not equipped to deal with situations of deteriorating mental health,” explained Hanlie Brits of the SAVF.
Brits explained the conditions under which a person is eligible for asylum in the SAVF shelter.
“We must remember that children also take up residence on the premises. Their health and safety is our priority,” added Brits.
Other conditions include a temporary stay, full self-functionality and no drug dependence. Residents in the shelter can seek housing help for three to six months until they have found a job and can re-establish normalcy in their lives.
“If we can see the residents are truly trying to turn things around, we do extend their stay for a few months,” added Meisie Mazibuko, a caretaker at the shelter.
The residents must be able to function on their own and not need constant supervision or medical care because the shelter is too understaffed to deal with such issues.
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Another problem the SAVF would face if they accommodated the mentally ill would be the patient’s unwillingness to comply with medication schedules.
“We try to get them the correct medication to help them, but they do not see the need to take the meds,” explained Mazibuko.
According to Brits, the correct procedure to solve this problem would be to have the Beyers Naude Street dancer admitted to a hospital so he could get a proper diagnosis and be referred to a mental institution. Brits explained that this is a challenge in itself because their are no such institutions in Mpumalanga.
“Institutions in other provinces are not always willing to take cases from Mpumalanga,” added Brits.
The deteriorating mental health of people on the streets is becoming an increasing issue.
“It begins with drugs and becomes a chronic illness,” said Mazibuko.
Messages on social media:
A man wearing brown pants and no shirt is lying in the middle of the street where traffic passes.
He is dancing in front of the cars and falls to the ground when cars approach. What will happen if someone should hit him? The driver will get the blame.
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