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A Practical Solution to Vagrancy, Squatting and Homelessness in South Africa
The Crisis that Confronts us
Making your way around Cape Town, one cannot help but see the explosion of vagrants, squatters and homelessness on the streets. Makeshift tents and even shacks can be spotted at historical landmarks like the Castle, alongside highways and under bridges. Traffic lights at busy intersections almost always have someone holding a cardboard sign pleading for food. Homelessness is a humanitarian crisis. Vagrancy aggravates crime. Squatting is a health crisis. It also devalues property and undermines the Cape of Good Hope as a popular tourist destination. This also undermines the economy as so many families income is negatively impacted. The homeless population in South Africa was estimated at over 200,000 in 2019. It is estimated that the number of homeless has tripled since the lockdown lunacy of 2020, which destroyed so much of the economy. There are a number of churches, ministries and charities which organise food parcels, blankets and soup kitchens. These private initiatives are helpful but short-term. What is needed is a bold and practical strategic solution by the city council. When asked, homeless people in South Africa respond that the most important thing the municipality could assist them with is: employment and affordable housing.The Strategic Solution to Squatting
There is a clear solution that can resolve the vagrancy, illegal squatting and related health issues caused by homeless people setting up their tents and shacks in public places around Cape Town. We have hundreds of empty barracks, with beds and mattresses and ablution blocks and kitchens in military bases throughout the country. These are relics of when we had National Service. Hundreds of thousands of young men, such as myself, were housed in these barracks during our national service training. There is no foreseeable need or plans to reinstitute national service, therefore these facilities are available for another use. Homeless people require housing and employment. The municipality could house the homeless littering our streets and public parks in empty barracks such as Winfield (Goodwood) and Youngsfield (Plumstead) and provide employment by organising these people in work groups to clean the litter and debris caused by squatter camps and to plant indigenous trees were there has been massive deforestation. There are also roads that need repair and rock slides that have closed mountain passes – all needing labour. Therefore, these adequate accommodations and employment opportunities can help any city council to improve infrastructure and reforest our country. Part of the payment the city council can offer in remuneration for these work groups would be to provide adequate food and clothing. Companies in Cape Town would probably be happy to donate food, bedding and clothing to such a practical venture to resolve the squatting/illegal occupation of public areas in the Cape.Yours for Faith and freedom
Dr. Peter Hammond Africa Christian Network PO Box 23632 | Claremont | 7735 | Cape Town | South Africa Tel: +27 21 689 4480 website | email
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