THE Deputy mayor of the eThekwini Municipality, councillor Zandile Myeni, recently took to social media to address community concerns surrounding the contentious Sakhithemba Homeless Shelter in Lower Illovo.

Also read: Lower Illovo marches against homeless shelter project

Residents from Lower Illovo and surrounding areas have vehemently opposed the project, with hundreds recently peacefully protesting against it. In an episode of the eThekwini Matters podcast on June 19, Myeni, explained that there are an estimated 16 000 homeless people in eThekwini.

“We have been facing a challenge of homeless people in the city for a very long time. As a city, we need to do more. When people come from different areas to the Durban CBD, they no longer feel safe. As leadership, we were mandated to come up with solutions. The plan for Sakhithemba, a building the municipality owns, is to take 400 homeless people ready for rehabilitation. They will be there for six months. Our aim is to look at Sakhithemba as a pilot project, either to use it as a model or initiate something new. It must be clear that this project represents that as a municipality, we have listened to the residents of eThekwini. Now we are acting,” she said.

She assured that Ward 109 residents are no less important than other residents. As such, there are strict plans for security upgrades and a screening programme that will assist the municipality to ensure it works with homeless individuals who want to be helped.

Also read: Lower Illovo and neighbouring community hosts peaceful march

“We had a successful meeting with the Ward 109 and surrounding community on June 13, where issues were highlighted. We are the government of the people, we need to listen and engage with the community on the matter. This project must be taken as an implementation strategy according to what the people of eThekwini have been advocating for a long time,” said Myeni.

She further explained that the project is the first of its kind, but not the last and if the municipality had the finances available, it would have utilised Sakhithemba’s model across all the zones forming part of eThekwini.

A resident of Lower Illovo, Dineshni Govender, expressed that she feels the municipality is not taking residents seriously and questioned whether a bigger march is needed to gain the appropriate attention from council. She said a recent petition opposing the shelter amassed over 4000 signatures, yet their pleas go unheard.

She questioned, “This is being brought here to make people feel safer in the Durban CBD. What about our families at home who will live in fear? How are the school kids going to be protected?”

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