eThekwini 'not mandated' to deal with homelessness
eThekwini Municipality says it's not mandated to deal with homelessness as there's no national policy that guides interventions to deal with the issue.
But the city says it has various initiatives to help homeless people rebuild their lives, including job opportunities and reunification services.
It responded to a report by GroundUp that found the city paid a private company millions to provide toilets and showers at two homeless shelters.
The shelters on Molyneux Road and near Durban Station accommodate over 200 people.
The company, Msaly Trading, has reportedly been receiving R250 000 a month for the project, since being awarded the tender in 2020.
ActionSA MP Alan Beesley, says he raised the matter in Council meetings, during his tenure as eThekwini councillor.
"I did my own site visit there and it is deplorable and the say thing is I think they paid R9 million to date on these toilets. Half of them are broken, they are not serviced and it is not that there isn't money available it is just that the money is stolen - it is corruption at its maximum.
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"Because the homeless are voiceless nobody takes it seriously. When I did my investigation I think it would have cost R2 000 to R3 000 to buy these toilets."
DA eThekwini caucus leader, Thabani Mthethwa, says they're taking the matter up with the city manager.
"The conditions are inhumane; toilets are not being emptied and it is very filthy. It is indescribable. The head of safer cities must be disciplined with a view to fire him. The report that was submitted last year to the municipal public accounts committee was misleading."
The city says it does regular onsite inspections of the facilities.
It adds that the onus is on the homeless individual after receiving support to want to live an independent life off the streets.
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