Durban — Just days after an operation targeting homelessness in Durban’s CBD, more than 200 displaced individuals have returned to their makeshift shelters near Albert Park.
The operation, dubbed Operation Khuculula, was led by KwaZulu-Natal Premier Thamsanqa Ntuli, in collaboration with SAPS, Metro Police and the Department of Community Safety and Liaison, and it aimed at removing homeless individuals in a bid to clean up the city for the festive season.
However, the approach has sparked a sharp backlash from various quarters, with many accusing officials of ineffective crime-fighting strategies.
Author and crime expert Mary de Haas said: “They do these operations all the time. But the people always come back. It is a futile exercise.”
She emphasised the need for investment in state-owned shelters as a more sustainable solution to homelessness.
“Some of these people are criminals., but it’s important to distinguish between a criminal and an honest person on the street,” she said.
She called for more efficient crime-fighting measures by law enforcement that targeted genuine criminal behaviour rather than merely evicting the homeless from the city.
Highlighting the eThekwini municipality’s budget of R67 billion, De Haas insisted that a well-organised shelter system could significantly alleviate the current dilemma: “If you had proper shelters, this would be better. They only have to be rudimentary to have a roof over people’s heads,” she said.
The Dennis Hurley Centre, which has long been a sanctuary for Durban’s homeless, expressed its dismay at the government’s “quick fix” mentality as they address homelessness.
Dr Raymond Perrier, the centre’s director, said: “It is unfortunate that local government persists in thinking there are quick fixes to deep social problems.”
Perrier, a former chair of the eThekwini Task Team on Homelessness, argued that current policing methods had created additional problems and he cautioned against simplistic solutions that overlooked the wider implications of police actions.
Following the recent operation, 15 undocumented foreign nationals and 100 homeless individuals were apprehended for processing.
However, police actions have resulted in larger groups becoming scattered rather than disappearing altogether, said Perrier.
“If this sounds familiar, almost exactly the same sequence was followed by the police about three years ago,” he said.
During the operation, Perrier said that some innocent individuals often lost vital documents such as IDs necessary for employment and access to medical care – which posed a risk to public health.
Ward councillor Mzokuthoba Mngonyama said the homeless people were back the day after the raid on Monday.
Mngonyama said they would continue to fight crime in the area – and implement measures to curb homelessness.
“Homelessness is a big and serious issue. We will continue to fight this matter and ensure that crime is curbed completely in our city,” Mngonyama said.
At the time of the operation, Ntuli had said: “We know that we are approaching the festive season and we want to assure the people of South Africa and even outside that we are cleaning Durban and they must come for the December holidays and spend time here in the province.”
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