In response to Sandton Chronicle reporting on displaced persons in George Lea Park, Ward 90 councillor, Martin Williams, shared his views.
Regarding terminology, Williams said, “The word ‘vagrants’ is pejorative, inaccurate and politically unsound. Nor are any of the people [living in George Lea Park] really ‘homeless’. They are above all human beings, with needs and feelings just like the rest of us.”
He said the City of Johannesburg (CoJ) refers to these individuals as ‘displaced’.
According to Williams, the CoJ Displaced People’s Unit is ineffectual, underfunded and ‘hopeless’. He said it was inexplicable that the CoJ’s budget for dealing with the issue has been halved at precisely the same time as the number of people living in places such as George Lea Park has increased dramatically.
“We urgently need a comprehensive policy. That policy must be visionary, not restricted to tough bylaw enforcement. Burning the possessions of poor people and driving them from one spot merely encourages them to move along to the next spot, in all likelihood to return when the heat is off.
“While many of those living informally in George Lea are refuse recyclers, others work on construction sites in Sandton. We should engage their employers in helping to find solution.
“As a property-owning resident in the ward for 20 years, I understand the frustrations. We must indeed be firm. But we must also be humane, and have a plan that is not piecemeal.”
Williams explained that, under Herman Mashaba’s leadership of the City, job creation and investment will improve. “That will help many poor people, but it won’t stop many more from being attracted to this city.”
He said there is a desperate need for more shelters, strategically placed and better managed.
“Under proper, humane but firm management, the parks, riverbeds and other open spaces which add to the City’s liveability need not pose all the hazards feared by many of those who are better off.”
Williams said poverty and population influx affect many great cities.
“We can set a fine example. We must exemplify social justice in this and all our actions. Social justice implies favouring the poor, but not to the exclusion of others.”
