Moot ‘unrecognisable’ with homelessness and vagrants
Vagrants have moved to a park on Hertzog Street after being evicted from the Foley and Law building on April 18.
The growing homelessness and vagrancy issues in the Moot is a sign of a town in decay and presents a wider human issue that needs to be resolved soon before it gets out of hand, according to residents.
Residents pride themselves on the beauty of their town, but many are starting to fear that it will become unrecognisable and unpleasant to live in if these issues are not dealt with.
The destitute have started making several areas in the Moot their homes, including the Melgisedek building, Adcock Street Park, Foley and Law building, and most recently, Trimpark on Hertzog Street.
Foley and Law, an old dilapidated building on Steve Biko Road, was a hotspot for homelessness and vagrancy for many years and businesses and residents felt it had also become a hotspot for criminal activity.
MOOT TURF DISPUTE LEADS TO VIOLENCE
A turf dispute between recyclers working and living there broke out in February this year.
In February, a recycler was stabbed in the area.
Moot CPF chairperson Elsabe Weyers witnessed the crime.
“They are very territorial and violence erupts quickly when they start fighting each other,” she told Rekord.
Fortunately, the victim survived.
Local businessman Johan Rossouw’s business was suffering as a result of the activities taking place in and around the building.
“The place is infested with rats that got into our building as well,” he said.
“The recyclers urinate and defecate in the street right outside my business and the smell is terrible.
“It seeped into my produce and we were forced to throw large amounts of it away.”
Rossouw provided pictures showing fires being made on the sidewalks with the smoke entering his property.
SQUATTERS EVICTED BY AUTHORITIES
A combined effort by the Department of Human Settlements, the TMPD and others saw the squatters evicted from the building on April 18, which was a great relief to many residents in the area.
Foley and Law has remained unoccupied since the vagrants were removed and residents hope it stays that way.
Melgisedek used to be a residential building but has now been left empty and abandoned and suffered a similar fate to Foley and Law with widespread vagrancy.
Resident Mark Weston, who has been reporting the issue for years, said it remained an uphill battle.
“It has been going on like this for years and it just gets worse and worse
“The building has become a hotspot for drug use and prostitution,” said Weston.
However, now it seems vagrants who occupied Foley and Law have moved to Trimpark on the corner of Hertzog Street and 10th Avenue, just a few blocks down from Foley and Law.
Here they are reportedly making fires at night and have set up places to sleep.
CALLS FOR NEW APPROACH TO MOOT ISSUE
Ward councillor Mari Joubert said the metro needs to approach the issue with a different mindset.
“You can’t just move people from one area to the next and think that solves the problem,” Joubert told Rekord.
“This is a human issue and a crisis in our country and we need to identify it as such.”
Joubert’s biggest concern is the drug problem that this has created.
“They are bringing drugs with them and they are targeting our children and it is unacceptable.”
What is also concerning is that this park is right next to Laerskool Wonderboom-Suid.
“The children here are soft targets and that should be the concern of everyone.”
‘MOOT RESIDENTS LIVING IN FEAR’
Joubert said residents in the Moot are living in fear and that crime has been on the increase.
“The vagrants and drug addicts rob and threaten our residents.
“Nothing was done after one resident’s wife was held up and beaten in her house.”
A resident, who wished to remain anonymous, said he no longer recognised the town he spent most of his life in.
“I have been living here for 43 years and I never thought it would get this bad,” he said.
“They cut down the trees, they sell drugs and make it very unpleasant to live here and it looks terrible.
“The Moot used to be a very safe place to live, but we don’t even feel safe in our own homes anymore.”
SPRING BECOMES HOME TO VAGRANTS
Frates Road, which runs next to the Moot spring, has also become a home to vagrants.
Joubert said she has arranged for the area to be cleared on many occasions but the vagrants only move back in.
“This is a very important part of the Moot as it is right next to our spring which is suffering from pollution every day.
“What we are trying to stress is the decay taking place in our town,” said Joubert.
“The vagrants are making homes in every corner.
“We honestly need an intervention here and we need it fast on behalf of all Moot residents.”
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