ON Wednesday morning, Durban Metro Police pounced on the homeless, who had illegally occupied open land behind Grosvenor Court in North Beach, creating makeshift shelters engulfed with piles of rubbish.

There was some resistance from the dwellers; however, the law enforcement team stood firm against insults and backlash. The occupants were adamant that they did not want to move, as they had nowhere else to go.

They were seen packing up their belongings and trash they had accumulated. Men and women alike were either chased away or directed into police vans.

For the longest time, neighbouring residents and ratepayers poured their anguish and frustration regarding the homeless who posed “security threats and were making open fires”.

Speaking to one dweller, she said she had been living there for two months with her boyfriend.

“I am originally from Newlands East. My boyfriend and I discovered this place and decided to settle here. Now we do not know where to go, the police took our belongings too. We know we are not supposed to stay here, but the government is not providing any free shelters for us,“ she said.

The residents had noticed that the group of dwellers was swelling each day, allegedly creating a community of drug users and rowdy characters. They were largely concerned with the deteriorating property values on the beachfront.

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