MMC for Health and Social Development Dr Mpho Phalatse and representatives of Pikitup conducted a site visit to identify hotspots where displaced persons lived in the city of Johannesburg.
The MMC wants all displaced people taken off the streets of Joburg. Phalatse added that the City was considering providing sleeping zones for these people so they could have access to ablution facilities.
“We found a number of vagrants loitering around the streets of the inner city, sleeping under bridges and on pavements, littering and using drugs,” said Phalatse.
Vagrants living under a bridge. PHOTO: @GuguZwane_
“It was quite a sight. We were joined by officials from social development who were tasked with assisting the homeless people we found to be registered into shelters.”
Phalatse and the representatives of Pikitup found people living under the M2 South bridge. The team found that the displaced people stored some of their belongings in storm water drains that ultimately led to blockages.
Phalatse said most of the vagrants were not willing to be assisted.
“The bigger question for me was how we help people who do not want to be helped when the help is there, but few people are reaching out to be assisted. We made ourselves visible and available to the homeless and many of them simply were not interested in getting the help we were offering.”
She said most of the displaced people were youth. “I’ve never been that close to drugs in my life, I’ve never witnessed anyone using them and I experienced all of that during the site visit. Most of the vagrants we found were young people, some even younger than me. It’s unfortunate that our youth is wasting away on our streets when they should be in schools and employed. I hope the City can find a more concrete solution to get them off the streets.”
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