ABOUT 120 makeshift shacks occupied by more than 500 homeless people were raided and burnt down on Friday at the corner of Khuzimpi (Williams) Road and Che Guevara Road. The operation comprised Durban Metro Police, Umbilo Business Association (UBA), Ward 32 and 33 councillors, Blue Security, ADT, Umondli Security, Land Invasion Unit, and Safe Cities.

The shacks were burnt down while the occupants were seen scattered, with some settling on the freeway pavement with their belongings.
Opinions varied, with some in support of the raid, while others felt that the act was “inhumane”.

Ward 32 councillor Protas Mngonyama vows that soon the ward will be free of homeless and street dwellers, ensuring safety and cleanliness are the norm.

“Our residents and businesses deserve better, hence we are on a mission to clean up the affected areas. No homeless people should be in sight and creating problems for locals. Reported incidents of crime have been on the rise, forcing businesses to relocate. This adds to the challenges of unemployment.
“The homeless have contributed vastly to flooding. They store or discard their belongings in an underground structure, and stormwater infrastructure gets blocked,” Mngonyama said.

As one of the solutions, Mngonyama promised that the fight against the homeless would soon be directed to feeders. “This is one of the contributing factors of uncontrolled street dwelling. Organisations and individuals who feed the homeless must do so in their own properties, not in the streets or parks, because by doing so, the homeless find a comfortable spot.”

The Glenwood/Bulwer Ratepayers and Residents Association responds.
Heather Roos, vice-chairperson and co-founder of the Glenwood /Bulwer Ratepayers and Residents Association, said the raid may result in relocation into the Glenwood community, which is close by.
“Until eThekwini management and other relevant departments have a solution to this huge problem, it will continue. As enforcement burns, these same people will later rebuild. This is no matter how hard and how often the poor metro police officials and SAPS officers try to move them.

“There must be alternative camps out of the city so as not to interfere with residents while they are being rehabilitated; learn survival skills like planting and growing food; chicken farming which would help feed them in these camps; building, plumbing and electrical skills to help build and repair these camps; cooking and baking courses to help cook and bake bread for them in these camps. This will ensure self-sufficiency.

“There must be more government drug rehab centres to curb the huge drug issues amongst these people. Don’t just knock down the shacks, burn their belongings. That is certainly not solving the problem, it’s just displacing these people elsewhere into the city,” Roos said.

UBA, through its chairperson Doran Subiah, shared “We are pro-business and we have an expectation to be in a safe space. We’ve had customers’ cars broken into, customers attacked and staff being assaulted daily. Enough is enough. We are coming together to fight the scourge. We provide employment in the area and we would like to see that grow. We also hope to attract more investment in the area.”
The Williams Road spot has since been fenced, thanks to the contribution made by a nearby funeral services company.
As for the raided homeless, they found dwellings in different parts of the city.

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