Cape Town - More than 100 homeless refugees from Paint City in Bellville have been moved by the City of Cape Town into their own space.
They have been living in makeshift structures situated on a pavement along Robert Sobukwe Road for almost a year.
The group, made up of mostly women and children, were removed from their camp in October 2023 after they stood up to the rules of a militia-like group in charge of the camp.
They were relocated on Friday to a new location, next door to Paint City, with only a metal fence separating the two groups now.
Matthew Sabiti, a spokesperson for the refugees, said they have been in contact with the City for some time regarding their proposed relocation.
“It’s a good thing, especially for the kids’ safety, and it’s something that we discussed with the City some months ago, though some terms were not respected. But we appreciate the move,” Sabiti said.
He said that everyone was now safe from the dangers which they were surrounded with on the street.
According to Wayne Dyason, spokesperson for the City’s Law Enforcement agency, they helped with the relocation of the group.
He said: “The group had relocated to the pavement from the tented facility in Bellville, as a result of a conflict that had arisen.
“Law Enforcement helped re-establish them in a demarcated area next to the tented facility, separated by a fence.”
Bellville Community Policing Forum (BCPF) chairperson Emre Uygun said while the removal of informal settlements fell outside the jurisdiction of the CPF, they must acknowledge their shared responsibility in ensuring the safety and well-being of all members of Bellville, irrespective of their nationalities.
“Both Bellville SAPS and the Bellville CPF worked tirelessly around the clock last year in an attempt to get all three spheres of government to intervene with the conflict.
“Myself, as the CPF chairperson, went as far as getting the national Department of Social Development to intervene but very little progress has been made,” Uygun said.
“For now, all we can do is monitor and stabilise any conflicts that arise.”
Peter Kankolongo, a refugee from the camp, added that they were trying their best to rebuild their structures with the wood and plastics.
He said they were also pleading with surrounding communities to help them with food and materials to secure structures.
Sabiti said although they welcomed the City’s assistance, more should be done to solve their issue of leaving the country for good.
“We won’t get tired until we move out of South Africa, of course, according to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees criteria,” he said.
Cape Argus