People squatting illegally in the green strip behind the Palms Shopping Centre, between Tambotie Street, Tisdall Street and Nelson Mandela Drive, are a sore eye for residents living nearby.
Residents said although these squatters are quiet and not bothering them much, they have noticed a lot of ‘traffic’ in the form of people walking past their houses into the green strips to the squatters.
“I do not know if they are buying drugs there, but I suspect that is the case,” said one of the residents.
Another resident said they had problems with their drainage system once since the squatters began living there.
The rubbish in this field is another sore eye.
Col Herold Mashile, station commander of Secunda Police Station, said the police can not remove these squatters by themselves.
They must first get a request from the municipal law enforcement department, then they can act and visit the site together with law enforcement officials.
“A person sleeping under a tree is not a criminal offence,” said Col Mashile.
“Thus we cannot just go there and arrest them, but we can support the law enforcement department if they go there to enforce the laws.”
Lucky Mhlongo, acting head of communications at Govan Mbeki Municipality, said homelessness is a national, if not global phenomenon and it is accordingly a challenge not only for Govan Mbeki Municipality.
“The municipality has, through its law enforcement unit, conducted several interventions in the past in trying to deal with the challenges of homeless people in the Govan Mbeki municipal area,” said Mhlongo.
“Removal of homeless people was viewed as being irrational and heartless.
“People should also consider that the municipality has no by-law on homelessness and there are no registered shelters for homeless people currently within the Govan Mbeki municipal jurisdiction.”
Mhlongo said proposed interventions are for businesses in the area to adequately secure their businesses, to report suspected incidents of drug abuse or dealing in illegal substances to the police and for the municipality to engage with various businesses affected, councillors and other government departments to find a satisfactory solution to this challenge.
