RESIDENTS of North Beach near the Jewish Shelter are increasingly in fear of the unknown. They are witnessing the state of the dwelling deteriorating each day, posing threats of criminal activities, open fires and unwarranted foot traffic.

The now-unsightly shelter was erected in 2020, during Covid19, to house the homeless. Currently 325 male inhabitants occupy 11 derelict tents, on the corner of Sylvester Ntuli Street and Molyneux Road. The original number of dwellers was half of what the shelter community is currently.

A resident of one of the nearby flats lamented, “This area is supposed to be a prime area for residents and tourists. The situation is getting out of hand, and we are really concerned. Apart from the decline of property values, we witness all sorts of suspicious characters around the shelter, drugs and alcohol use and unsanitary behaviour. People are flooding in daily.”

Another resident echoed the sentiment, “Looking outside the window has become an eyesore. At night, the unpleasing behaviour is worse. We understand and empathise with the homeless, however it is evident that the City is not playing its part in regulating and keeping the area under control. They will never go back, they need housing also, and the State must help. Until today we are asking where the Covid money is.

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“We need a way forward; the government can’t just throw people in a place like this; it is unsanitary, totally inhumane, and the residents are very unhappy. You can’t have people living in this kind of tents for five years.”

DA PR councillor in Ward 26, Charmaine Sewshanker highlighted, “The placement of a homeless shelter near hotels, tourist attractions and prime residential properties was a very contentious issue and not well thought out by the municipality. Hotel owners, tourists, nearby businesses and residents have raised concern about the shelter’s effect on tourism, revenue and safety.”

She added, “Concerns about crime, noise, drugs and disruptions have been raised with Metro Police and city officials on numerous occasions. I do not want to criminalise the homeless but a homeless shelter attracting prostitutes and drug users is compromising the safety of the entire beachfront area.”

She suggested that the city must fix up a few of the numerous abandoned buildings in the area for the homeless where they are screened and offered much needed social development support.

Mahomed Essa, Beach Patrol Unit North Beach CPF chairperson, recognises the social challenges which “cannot continue unchecked”.

Also Read: Community leaders call for empathy towards homeless

“We have received growing concerns from the community regarding the Covid shelter behind Grosvenor. While the shelter was intended as a humanitarian response, its current state has raised serious safety and security issues, including alleged criminal activity, open fires, and overcrowding.

“As the North Beach CPF, our priority is community safety in partnership with SAPS and other stakeholders. The community is under strain, and our role is to ensure that everyone, residents and vulnerable groups alike, is protected through structured, lawful, and humane interventions. We are engaging the relevant authorities to urgently assess the situation, enforce by-laws, and ensure that sustainable and lawful solutions are implemented. Public safety cannot be compromised,” Essa asserted.

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