Cape Town - Time is running out for the City to place over 600 refugees who are staying in the Methodist Church in Greenmarket Square and those scattered on the streets around Cape Town Central police station, and near the District Six Museum around Buitenkant and Harrington streets.
On Tuesday Public Works Minister Patricia de Lille and City officials conducted a site visit to Paint City, Bellville, where temporary accommodation for refugees was being erected.
De Lille said: “I've been working together with the City to look at accommodation for the homeless and the refugees. There are about 6000 homeless people in the City of Cape Town. For now we've prioritised the refugees because we're very concerned that we're sitting with a time bomb in the church with no social distancing.
"Even the refugees who are out on the streets at the moment, they always congregate in groups of hundreds. So it's of concern in light of the Covid-19, coronavirus.”
De Lille also met with City officials and they eventually decided to erect another marquee in Paint City and have refugees move in by latest at 3pm yesterday. However, Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development Mcebisi Skwatsha had reservations about the City’s commitment to move the refugees.
“My biggest concern is that the City has indicated that the water and ablution facilities can only be installed four days from now. We can't have a situation like this. When people come and stay here they have to make sure that people have proper water and proper sanitation. We can have all the regulations in the world but we're struck by a particular crisis that requires desperate measures to overcome this,” Skwatsha said.
On Saturday, the City started moving homeless residents to a temporary shelter. The parking lot adjacent to the City’s Culemborg Safe Space would be the first site to be used.
A tent was erected, along with sanitation facilities, as well as implementation of appropriate social distancing measures.
Mayoral committee member for community and health services Zahid Badroodien said: “We value the engagement with Minister De Lille. The facility will be used for the refugees. We're also looking at a site in Voortrekker Road to house the refugees. We're looking into permanent structures to house homeless people.”
A shelter in Bellville being prepared for the refugees that are currently living on the street and Methodist Church in Cape Town. Picture: Phando Jikelo/African News Agency(ANA)
Minister of Public Works Patricia de Lille, deputy minister Mcebisi Skwatsha and Dr Zahid Badroodien of the City of Cape Town visited the site to see how the preparations were taking place. Picture: Phando Jikelo/African News Agency (ANA)
This is an attempt to combat the spread of the deadly coronavirus in the country, the church in St George's Mall had a huge number of people inside and some of them had different sicknesses already. Picture: Phando Jikelo/African News Agency(ANA)
Public Works Minister Patricia de Lille and City officials conducted a site visit to Paint City, Bellville, where temporary accommodation for refugees was being erected. Picture: Phando Jikelo/African News Agency
Preparation is under way at a shelter in Bellville for the refugees living on the street and at the Central Methodist Mission Church in Burg Street. Picture: Phando Jikelo / African News Agency (ANA)
@MarvinCharles17