AFTER three community meetings, the latest of which on May 27 was attended by Ward 109 councillor Menzi Wilfred Manqele and representatives of the eThekwini Municipality, the community remains furious to have been left out of the process to build the Sakhithemba Homeless Shelter in Lower Illovo.

Also read: Community plans meeting for Lower Illovo homeless shelter

The meeting at the Lower Illovo sports ground came about after residents gathered in their numbers at the Lower Illovo Primary School hall on May 25 to collate numerous concerns regarding the shelter.

The council resolution states that 400 people will be brought to be housed in the shelter.

Manqele addressed the community, noting their discomfort with the situation, and admitted to mistakes in the public consultation process, “There was a mess-up in public consultation and I admit my mistake to the people of Ward 109. There is a need to go back to the drawing board with my colleagues on the council and the Municipality. I assure you such mistakes will not happen going forward.”

However, he urged the community to refrain from distorting the information, explaining that the information being circulated does not reflect the reality of the shelter.

“No councillor in his right mind would bring such criminality into his community and I disagree when someone says this building is for ‘paras’,” added Manqele.

Also read: Lower Illovo residents protest homeless shelter revival

The meeting reached a stalemate, however, with the community firm on its demands to cease construction until the matter is resolved. Lifelong Lower Illovo resident Gopie Krishna Tagat argued that when the shelter was formerly operational, the community grappled with robberies and muggings.

He reiterated that neither residents around the area nor businesses were consulted. He said, “We have a primary school right around the corner and a high school down the road. All their lives are at stake. While you admit your mistake, it is affecting our lives significantly. If you want to put a clinic or a police station there, we welcome such additions to the community, but our small community cannot accommodate hundreds of homeless people.”

Deputy head of Economic Development, Nkululeko Mkhize, acknowledged concerns put forth by the community, but stated, “We cannot make decisions outside the scope of our employment. I cannot make the decision to cease construction.”

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