GTM removes homeless from Park Street
Greater Tzaneen Municipality clears homeless people after resident concerns, citing bylaw violations and safety priorities.
TZANEEN – The Greater Tzaneen Municipality (GTM) has taken decisive action to remove a group of homeless individuals from public areas in response to a growing number of complaints from residents.
Concerns raised included noise disturbances, loitering, and general safety issues, particularly in the Park Street area.
The intervention follows weeks of mounting pressure from the community and discussions on how best to handle the situation. GTM officials say the aim is to restore order while ensuring that support services are offered to those affected.
Ward 15 Cllr Chrizelle Dreyer told the Herald last week that she spoke with GTM licensing manager André Liversage regarding the issue.
According to Dreyer, Liversage and his team visited Park Street, where they found the homeless individuals.
“He told me that together with his team, they burned what was left behind, cleaned the area, and removed the vagrants,” she said.
The Herald reviewed the GTM bylaws to determine how the presence of homeless individuals in public spaces is addressed.
According to the bylaws, it is prohibited for any person to bathe, wash themselves, animals, or laundry in public streams or fountains, or to loiter, obstruct public walkways, urinate in public, or cause disturbances. It also prohibits placing structures in public spaces for purposes such as storage or sale, and disallows actions that cause offensive smells, smoke, or dust.
Read more: Tzaneen residents ‘gatvol’ of illegal park occupations
Furthermore, the bylaws allow for municipal intervention if a person fails to comply with a written notice. In such cases, officials may enter the premises to abate the nuisance at the offender’s cost, who may also face prosecution.
GTM spokesperson Vutivi Makhubele confirmed that the municipality responded swiftly following the report from Dreyer.
“We acknowledge that we have ongoing challenges with homeless individuals using public parks to sleep,” she said. “We conduct regular checks with the manpower we have to ensure public spaces are cleared when necessary. Our priority is the safety of our residents, who pay rates and taxes, and we do our best to keep them safe.”
The municipality emphasised that, while enforcement is necessary, efforts are also being made to connect homeless individuals with the appropriate support services.
