Helping hand for Glebelands evictees

DURBAN 16-08-2015 Gift of the givers giving food parcels to people at Glebelands. Picture: S'bonelo Ngcobo

DURBAN 16-08-2015 Gift of the givers giving food parcels to people at Glebelands. Picture: S'bonelo Ngcobo

Published Oct 13, 2015

Share

Durban - Displaced Glebelands hostel dwellers on Monday received humanitarian food parcels and other help from the aid organisation, Gift of the Givers, which has also pledged to assist with work creation projects.

Activist Vanessa Burger approached the organisation to help about 500 people who were evicted from their rooms for refusing to pay “protection” money.

The destitute received food, detergent and vanity packs.

Gift of the Givers operations manager Salim Sayed said Burger had turned to them in desperation after other humanitarian organisations were scared to go to the Umlazi, Durban, hostel complex because of violence there.

“We did our research and spoke to people in the area, including community leaders, and we realised how dire the situation is.

“We will be looking at possibilities of coming up with self-sustainable projects for the unemployed, projects like beadwork, sewing, woodwork, hair stylist and others, so that people here can work,” said Sayed.

Residents were overjoyed with the help, but some called for stricter security measures and soldiers to keep them safe.

Zanele Sithole said if she could earn enough money, she would leave the hostel.

“I have two very young children and to raise them here is bad, but I don’t have a choice. If only people can learn to talk through their differences,” she said.

Some residents have had to abandon their jobs, while some students are said to have quit their studies because of the killings in and outside the hostel. “If they want you, they will kill you in the courtyard, taxi rank, workplace; they just kill you anywhere if they want you.

“Those who are killed have children who might grow up to become worse criminals because they grew up without their fathers. It is disturbing that our government sends soldiers to war-torn countries... but the problem area where people are killed like flies is just a small-scale area, a hostel. With soldiers here this could be over in no time,” said a resident who identified himself only as Xolo.

Burger said 44 hostel and hostel-related murders have been committed since March last year. She said the socio-economic impact of the instability has been “catastrophic” for many of the poor residents.

“While solutions are sought to end the senseless killing of innocent people and displacing of many, assistance for families is needed to avoid a humanitarian crisis,” she said.

The hostel is a home to more than 22 000 people who live in about 80 blocks of flats varying in size. According to Burger, around 65% of residents are unemployed.

She said many people had been “violently” evicted from their rooms by “thugs” for refusing to pay a “protection” fee of R50.

Daily News

Related Topics: