Durban is to begin rounding up street children and beggars ahead of the upcoming climate conference, the New Age reported on Wednesday.
The paper quoted the city’s metro police spokesman Eugene Msomi saying all begging street children and adults would be rounded up because they mugged tourists.
“We often remove them from the streets when there are big events like the World Cup and major conferences, because some of them mug tourists and damage the image of the country,” he said. “You find that tourists are unfamiliar with the area and would be intimidated and even mugged by these street beggars.”
The United Nations Climate Change conference (COP17) will be held at Durban’s Inkosi Albert Luthuli convention centre from November 28 to December 9. The conference is expected to attract 20 000 delegates. – Sapa