Cape Town - More than 150 homeless people occupying pavements and bridges in the Cape Town CBD have chosen to be moved to Safe Space shelters, as plans for their impending eviction continue to force them off the street.
The Western Cape High Court granted permission for the City to evict the homeless from today.
The City on Wednesday said that during next week, it will support the voluntary relocation of residents to Safe Spaces.
The unlawful occupation hot spots were identified as Buitengracht Street, FW De Klerk Boulevard, Foregate Square, taxi rank and Foreshore, Helen Suzman Boulevard, Strand Street, Foreshore/N1, Virginia Avenue and Mill Street Bridge in the city.
The City said that more than 150 of the people had accepted the offer of dignified transitional shelter at Safe Spaces.
A total of 127 responders have chosen to move willingly to the newly constructed Ebenezer Safe Space in
Green Point, which has 300 beds, and another 26 have chosen to move to Culemborg Safe Space 2.
Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis said they would have access to medical care, social workers, substance abuse treatment, family reunification services, EPWP work, and personal development programmes to help them leave the streets for good.
After August 9, plans will be prepared to evict any remaining illegal residents from the locations.
Chairperson of the Homeless Action Coalition (HAC), Ndodana Hadebe, said they were concerned about the pending evictions.
“Our thoughts are with those affected, particularly those who are refusing to take up the offer of safe spaces.
“We urge the authorities to reconsider their decision and explore alternative solutions that prioritise the well-being of these vulnerable community members,” Hadebe said.
Hill-Lewis previously warned that no person had the right to indefinitely refuse all offers of social support while reserving a public place as exclusively theirs.
Dolphin Khumalo, 44, known as “Rasta”, said he would not go back to living in a shelter or Safe Space again.
Khumalo was evicted from the “tent city” at the Three Anchor Bay Tennis Club earlier this year.
“It’s not nice (at the shelter), when it is raining you are struggling to sleep.
“Everyone just has a small blanket and a small mattress.
“The food is sometimes late, and you wait long,” he said.
Khumalo is currently living with a friend in Delft, but said he might return to the city despite the evictions.
For those who have not accepted the Safe Space shelter, social services and a dignified transitional home are still on the table.
Hadebe said that many were already grappling with challenges such as poverty, unemployment and lack of social support.
“Evicting them from their current living spaces would only exacerbate their hardships and leave them even more vulnerable,” he said.
“Our organisation stands ready to collaborate with relevant stakeholders to identify viable alternatives and provide assistance to those in need during this challenging period.”
Steven Underwood of U-turn Homeless Ministries said those who did not move into a Safe Space or shelter would just move to another public space within the city.
“Evicting people who are living on the street is not really a solution, it moves them away from that area, maybe by the Castle or wherever they have their temporary structures.
“There is a case of chasing people around the city, it’s really not a very effective solution,” he said.
The court order has since been changed by agreement to reflect the new dates in August.
Carlos Mesquita, an activist for the homeless and a researcher working for the GOOD Party, said he would be keeping a close eye on the process.
“I have decided to grant the City the benefit of the doubt on whether they are seriously interested in turning this intervention around or not. I am grateful the City knows both the court and people like myself,” he said.