Cape Town - Ward 54 (Sea Point and Fresnaye) councillor Nicola Jowell said that despite interventions to assist homeless people in the area get off the streets, many turned down the help.
Jowell said the City’s law enforcement officials were being hamstrung by a court interdict that prevented them from enforcing certain by-laws, such as issuing fines to the homeless.
In December, the Western Cape High Court extended a court interdict that ordered that the City could not take action against the homeless found to be in contravention of municipal by-laws.
Jowell said her ward had more field workers engaging with the homeless on a daily basis than any other subcouncil in the city. The field workers were trying
to reduce the number of homeless people.
“They do this by engaging with the homeless about their backgrounds and reason for being homeless. There is an offer of social services given to them in the form of IDs, shelter placement, Expanded Public Works Programme work opportunities, reunification with family and transport to their place of origin; however, some refuse it,” Jowell said.
She said law enforcement operations were continuing but were hampered by the current court interdict against the City.
“They are not allowed to remove any items that a homeless person classifies as a personal belonging, as they have no legal framework to remove a person unless they are committing a criminal offence and in that case are arrested by police.”
Jowell said social development through the Street People’s Reintegration Unit was the best and most sustainable way to assist the homeless, but it was not a “quick fix”.
Sea Point, Fresnaye, and Bantry Bay Residents Association (SFB) chairperson Victor Morris said: “Recently, in SFB, there has been a shift towards a more sustainable and long-term approach.
“With the financial assistance of many residents of the area, we have invested considerable funds in a range of successful initiatives as part of its cleansing and security initiative with NGOs and contributed to