Cape Town - Street children on glue or harder drugs are becoming more aggressive and prevalent at the Cape Town train station and in the CBD – the most recent incident that of a high, homeless 9-year-old who tried to stab someone outside Bukhara Restaurant and Haiku in Burg Street.
But Sunday night’s incident also showed the Central City Improvement District (CCID) officers to be restricted when it comes to arresting and detaining the children.
CCID spokesperson Corola Koblitz said: “It is usually us that takes custody first. An extremely underage case, such as the one on Sunday evening, is clearly detrimental to businesses in the area, but the CCID’s hands are tied.”
The CCID’s Public Safety and Social Development members have reported an increase in the number of street children over the past year.
A high-profile meeting has now been scheduled with the provincial Department of Social Development, the city’s Early Childhood and Social Development Department and the CCID to address the situation as a matter of urgency.
“There are many complex issues as to how or why anyone – adult or child – can find themselves on the streets.
“It can be the result of abject poverty or fleeing gang violence in their local communities, or substance or other abuse at home – to name a few.
“In terms of children, they also begin to fall through the cracks of the school system when – through unacceptable behaviour – they can become deregistered and subsequently find themselves wandering the streets when they should be in class,” said Koblitz.
Such children become open to risk, including in situations where adults could exploit them for criminal activities.”
“The CCID does not detain or arrest any children – we have no jurisdiction to do so, other than in terms of a schedule 1 offence, in which case anyone, including members of the public, can arrest and detain someone (citizen’s arrest).
“However, for all other offences, only the SAPS or the provincial Department of Social Development can make an arrest. Wherever a member of the public has fallen victim to a crime, we would urge them to lay a charge with the SAPS against a perpetrator, irrespective of the person’s age,” said Koblitz.
“However, what the CCID does do, when we find any child at risk or in need of care on the streets of the CBD, is intervene in terms of trying to direct the situation into the hands of the correct authorities via one of our own fieldworkers.
“They, in turn, then make contact with either the daytime or after-hours social work services of the provincial department. All children in conflict with the law must be referred to the SAPS.”
JP Smith, Mayco member for safety and security, said he had not received a deluge of complaints, but pointed out that not all street kids were on drugs or dangerous.
Social worker Suzette Little said if a member of the public is harassed in the CBD and feels unsafe or threatened in any way, they should immediately seek out the assistance of a CCID officer.
“Children are being recruited into gangs at very early ages and they are susceptible to this kind of influence.
Cape Town station is also inundated with complaints, although none of the officials were prepared to elaborate for fear of repercussion from management.
The public is warned that there are armed children high on drugs roaming at the station daily. Because they are high, they are not open to reason or being calmed down.
The Department of Social Development says it is aware of the recent increased presence of street children in the CBD and is working with the CCID, City of Cape Town, Metro Police and SAPS to intervene. The department can be contacted at its toll-free hotline – 0800 220 250.
Cape Times