Tshwane spent R20m on homeless since lockdown began
The City of Tshwane says it's committed to resolving the homelessness crisis in the metro.
Makeshift shelters were set up on various sports grounds to house the homeless during the national lockdown, while food and other supplies were also provided.
The existing shelters also made room for residents who had lost their jobs and homes as a result of the harsh economic implications of the pandemic.
The city's MMC for Community and Social Development Thabisile Vilakazi says at least R20 million was spent on the homeless since the pandemic hit South African shores.
"Remember that there were a number of people that became homeless during that time and others were caught by the pandemic when they were still around the city looking for jobs.
"A number of these essentials I've been delivering myself, they've been getting mattresses, they've been getting food and a number of other things we could afford to get to them," Vilakazi adds.
Vilakazi says the renewed its commitment to combat homelessness.
Vilakazi, Health MMC Sakkie Du Plooy, University of Pretoria, Unisa, non-governmental organisations and other stakeholders signed a social contract on Friday in a bid to bring down the number of destitute residents.
"The City of Tshwane has this big issue around homelessness and as a city we can't deal with this alone
"We've been managing the situating so well, especially if you look at the worst part it was during the lockdown.”
Vilakazi believes the city has made headway in resolving the crisis.
"What we do in each and every shelter is we link it with a social worker, we make sure there is a social worker that counsels the beneficiary because it's not every family that does not want to see their loved ones, it's just some of the situations that make them to separate.”
Registered organisations will provide appropriate interventions to ensure the provision of resources and shelters.
Vilakazi says more buildings have been identified.
"We didn't have shelters in the past that we know exactly that these are the shelters we are going to use for these beneficiaries but now the policy is providing that we should have some shelters.
"We have identified some more shelters. we've got about 6 of them that we've identified, and we are trying to renovate them. That is going to help us because the homeless are not going to be all over the city, they're going to be kept in safe and better place and the city can take care of them," Vilakazi adds.
Listen to Thabisile Vilakazi below:
ALSO READ:
