Renovation of Lyttelton Town Hall on the cards after homeless evacuation
Municipal halls will be preserved, as the metro develops temporary shelters offering meals, skills training, and psychosocial support to empower homeless residents.
The metro has set out clear long-term plans to prevent further unlawful occupations of municipal facilities, while also committing to expanding shelter options for the homeless.
MMC for Community and Social Development Services Palesa Modise said the mayoral committee had already resolved to prohibit the use of the metro’s community halls for emergency accommodation in the future.
“As part of its long-term strategy, the city is committed to establishing additional shelters for homeless individuals, with a particular focus on areas such as Region 4, where existing facilities are limited,” she said.
She explained that the metro would work with non-profit organisations and the Gauteng Department of Social Development to repurpose unused municipal properties into transitional shelters.
The MMC added that these facilities would provide beneficiaries with skills development, psychosocial support, and opportunities for empowerment.
“The goal is to foster self-reliance and rehabilitation. However, it is important to note that these facilities are not intended as permanent residences, but rather as transitional spaces designed to support the rehabilitation and reintegration of homeless individuals into society.”
Modise confirmed that 26 homeless individuals, all of whom were men, were removed from the former Lyttelton City Hall on August 19, with the Tshwane Metro Police Department supporting the operation.
She said space was arranged for all of them at the Youth for Survival Shelter, but only six accepted the offer and were transported there, while the rest discharged themselves voluntarily.
“The six beneficiaries admitted to Youth for Survival are receiving shelter, three meals per day, skills programmes, psychosocial support, and possible links to employment opportunities,” said Modise.
“To ensure dignity, our department provided psychosocial support, counselling, and documentation of all beneficiaries, distinguishing between those who opted for the Youth for Survival facility and those who did not.”
She added that among the 26, five were elderly men, of whom two relocated to the shelter and three opted to self-discharge.
This update comes after the metro confirmed plans to renovate the Lyttelton community hall following the relocation. On August 22, metro spokesperson Lindela Mashigo told Rekord that the hall was initially established as a temporary shelter on March 26, 2020, when the national Covid-19 lockdown was declared.
He said the metro’s Department of Community and Social Development, in partnership with local non-profit organisations including Hennops Revival and Haven of Hope, created the shelter to provide accommodation, food, and services to the homeless for three months.
In 2021, during the easing of lockdown, the metro and NPOs reunited some of the homeless beneficiaries and arranged placement of the remaining beneficiaries at shelters in town and Pretoria North.”
Mashigo said the management of the shelter later shifted to Kopano Manyano, an NGO that deals with homelessness in the city.
“The remaining homeless beneficiaries who could not be reunited with families for various reasons, and some new homeless people, were admitted by Kopano Manyano NGO.”
Mashigo stated that when the organisation stopped its involvement, a pastor named only as ‘Cyril’ refused to vacate the hall and allowed the beneficiaries to remain.
He noted that from that point, the occupants began organising themselves and sought the support of Lawyers for Human Rights to resist eviction.
This led to what Mashigo described as a battle between the metro and Lawyers for Human Rights to evict the beneficiaries from 2021 until August 19 this year.
While inspections and monitoring were conducted when the metro was still in control, Mashigo confirmed that conditions at the facility deteriorated significantly once it was taken over by the homeless occupants.
“The conditions deteriorated after the shelter was in full control of homeless beneficiaries with the assistance of Lawyers for Human Rights,” he said.
These included severe sewer blockages, unmanaged waste, and health risks conducive to outbreaks of disease.
He further confirmed reports of substance abuse, criminal activity, and the housing of undocumented foreign nationals at the premises.
Mashigo emphasised that the metro had originally provided comprehensive support, including shelter, food, medical care, psychosocial services, as well as material assistance, but these services were stopped once the occupants refused to leave and took over the facility.
He added that the situation had been a learning experience for the metro.
“National lockdown was never anticipated and caught us unprepared. The city will, in future, ensure that community halls are not utilised as makeshift shelters, but opt for temporary structures such as tents and other forms of temporary shelters,” he said.
A council resolution now prohibits the use of municipal halls as emergency accommodation, because people tend to refuse relocation once settled.
The hall was finally evacuated on August 19, and Mashigo confirmed that it will now be renovated.
“The hall will be renovated by our building maintenance department to restore it to its former glory,” he said.
He explained that the metro’s Group Property Department, the custodian of municipal property, is still set to conduct a technical inspection that will inform the timeline and budget allocation for the restoration.
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