City Of CT Says Muizenberg Homeless People Weren’t Dumped

The City of Cape Town said it’s tried to assist homeless people in Muizenberg.

The Muizenberg homeless community voiced their concerns and held a demonstration calling on the City to intervene and find alternative accommodation for them.

The Muizenberg Improvement District said scores of homeless people are now camped out in a local park, saying they came from the City’s Strandfontein macro homeless site that had recently been closed.

‘We are homeless not hopeless’ and ‘Stop pushing us around’ were just a few placards the homeless held up during Saturday’s protest.

The homeless were initially temporarily housed at the Strandfontein Sports Field but after various complaints the site was shut down earlier this month.

Now many have set up makeshift shelters and tents at a park in Muizenberg, while others are living in the bushes.

The Muizenberg Improvement District said the City has “dumped” the homeless in the area without any proper services or food.

Chairperson Peter Corbett said, “In that location there no toilet, no water, no shelter in the most appalling conditions. That poses a health risk not only to themselves but the whole community. I am shocked as the whole community is.”

But the City’s Zahid Badroodien said they did not “dump” anyone, they simply transported the homeless who wanted to leave the camp to the communities they came from.

“There has been no dumping of people, they chose to move. We have offered opportunity to be integrated.”

Badroodien said he has been in contact with the group informing them that they are trying to find alternative accommodation.

EWN