The Cape Argus has launched a new collaborative editorial initiative called #TheDignityProject – a 15-part daily series about the homeless people of Cape Town. Homeless person Danny Oosthuizen will be writing a daily column for the duration of the project. Read the second entry in Danny’s Diary below ...
Cape Town - It is estimated that there are more than 8 000 homeless people in the Mother City.
“Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) chief electoral officer Mosotho Moepya says they are ready for the upcoming 2016 local government elections,” read the story.
During the election campaign we have been completely overlooked by the politicians. Not even a ward councillor in sight. So I guess we will not be part of it at all. Pity.
Ironically, when law enforcement conducts raids our belongings are removed with trucks to destinations unknown to us, we even lose our IDs.
They take it all. Where do we now have to go for bedding and clothing?
A new ID costs R140 and without it we are lost. We can’t apply for jobs, can’t sell our scrap metal, etc.
Now if this happens, say three times a year, it costs a lot of money.
And most of the time it is money donated by you, the public. And it goes on and on and on. They should stop.
To save R140 might sound easy, but when one has nothing it is nearly impossible.
And pray tell me: Who is in charge of the homeless people? Who is our voice? Who represents us?
Let me tell you, they are doing a k*k job.
Read the first entry in Danny's Diary here
In December last year, I received seven toothbrushes, nine bars of soap and seven tubes of toothpaste.
We are also in need of razor blades, washing powder and tampons for the ladies.
I will never forget the day they stole my blanket. Who would want to steal a second-hand blanket?
Anyway, I walked around in St George’s Mall and met this fabulous lady.
In no time she took me to her apartment and told me to wait downstairs. She came back with this king-size Woolworths duvet!
Snow white! Darrrrrrrrrrrling, this one is very good. No cold. I was the king of the night and at some stage we were eight people under this duvet that went from snow white to dark dust… And then someone stole it!
I have never been to a public meeting where we can go into dialogue.
Also read: What is #TheDignityProject?
We have no memorandum of understanding with anybody and the way forward is dictated to us by “strangers”.
We get pushed around, evicted, locked-up overnight for loitering (some by-law crap).
We are not second-class citizens. We just try to find our way home.
As most shelters are full, you should regard yourself lucky if you get a train ticket to move to Paarl or Ceres!
Just like that.
People on chronic medication have no time to go to the clinic to request a transfer because you must move the same day and be at the new shelter at a certain time.
And while we are talking shelters… don’t just dump your donations at the front door.
Go hand it over to the people yourself. Then you know for sure they get it there and then.
Cape Argus