By Sharlene Packree and Heinz de Boer
Durban's usually bustling street child colonies have all but disappeared from the city after what is believed to be a major police crackdown ahead of this week's Fifa preliminary draw.
City officials remain at odds over the fate of dozens of children, who are believed to have been rounded up by SAPS and Metro Police units before being taken to Westville Prison.
Social workers say this happened after the children and some adults with small children were charged for loitering and given fines they cannot afford. Some may spend up to 90 days behind bars.
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'The children were... handed over to social workers' City manager Dr Michael Sutcliffe has however strongly denied the allegations, saying he would "never condone" such police action.
But Metro Police spokesperson Superintendent Thozamile Tyala, confirmed that beachfront children were collected by Metro Police in a routine operation.
"We always remove the street children from the beachfront. The children were taken to a place of safety and handed over to social workers," he said.
The Daily News visited several hotspots in Mahatma Gandhi Road (Point Road), Addington Beach, Blue Lagoon and Central Durban where street children are usually seen. There were no children in sight in any of these areas.
There were no children begging at traffic lights or along the beachfront. Adult vagrants at Addington Beach said the children had been rounded up over the weekend and collected by Metro police vans.
'So where have they gone to suddenly' A social worker, who asked not to be named out of fear of falling foul of city authorities and who works at a Durban shelter, said the children were picked up by Metro police and charged with loitering.
She said they were taken to Westville Prison.
"Hopefully this is the last time it happens. They can't keep doing this to these children.
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