homeless | Radio 94.7 FM

South Africans have taken to social media seething with anger after reports that the City of Cape Town is fining homeless people for “obstructing pedestrian traffic” and allegedly breaking other bylaws.

A News24 report on Monday revealed that homelessness in Cape Town may now come at a cost, following various complaints by residents, who felt that the city was not being consistent in enforcing its bylaws.

Law enforcement spokesperson Wayne Dyason denied that they were targeting the homeless, but said they are after anyone who violates the city’s bylaws, which prohibit camping, noise, nuisances and setting up fires in undesignated areas.

Lighting a fire in an undesignated area will cost up to R1,500, while anyone obstructing pedestrian traffic could be fined R300.

Since the release of the report, many have taken to Twitter to express their frustration and anger towards the residents who complained about the homeless, and
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Pretoria’s homeless want keys to unused government building in Salvokop. It makes no sense to sleep in the streets when government owns a brand new building that hasn’t been unused for years since it was built.

This sentiment was expressed by leaders of Pretoria homeless people who yesterday gathered outside the locked building in Salvokop.

They said it was about time the Department of Public Works and the City of Tshwane gave them keys to the building.

Frustrated and tired of sleeping in dilapidated CBD buildings and cold public parks, the group has been approaching various government departments to speak to executives, trying to get the keys to the building.

They said the building was built either in 2014 or 2015 when two homeless shelters for boys were demolished to erect the R1.4bn Stats SA headquarters, nearby.

A frustrated Richard Wildeman said: “We don’t care what the building still lacks, we’ll make it work
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