Recent cases of homeless occupancy on Bloubergstrand’s main beach has left the community concerned for their safety when two groups of people took residence on the beach dunes along Otto du Plessis Drive.
One group erected a tent and the other sought shelter in an abandoned building.
It is not yet clear when the two groups of people arrived, said Nicky Rheeder, councillor of Ward 107.
“I do not know exactly when they arrived, they also come and go a lot as they were gone last week and are back again (at present),” Rheeder explained.
Residents of Bloubergstrand have voiced their dismay about the situation calling it unsafe and unsightly. The community is also frustrated with the City of Cape Town’s slow and irregular response to the situation.
TygerBurger interviewed a homeless person residing on the beach dunes who attributed their occupancy to previously unsafe living conditions.
“We all came from Atlantis, and fled the dangerous gang activity present there,” Romano Stevens said.
Stevens acknowledges that he knows living on the beach dunes is illegal, but “does not know where else to go”.
“We plan to reside here (Bloubergstrand beach) permanently, as it is safe, and sheltered from the rain,” according to Stevens.
Stevens suggested law enforcement, or the local police station had not yet taken action against the homeless occupancy on Bloubergstrand beach.
The City explained that during the global Covid-19 pandemic and national state of disaster, homelessness throughout Cape Town grew rapidly.
“The two-year national state of disaster and related economic impact has led to unmatched levels of homelessness in the city – with many people sleeping in public places, including sidewalks, parks, road reserves, beaches, and under bridges,” the City responded.
However, active attempts are made to rectify the homelessness statistics throughout Cape Town, by spending an allocated amount of R152 million on City-run safe spaces, shelters, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), and studies conducted by Social Development and Early Childhood Development (ECD) to assess the reason for homelessness.
