More than 160 people homeless people in Cape Town relocated to safe spaces

An eviction process to stop people from living on the streets of Cape Town was completed on Friday, with over 160 people relocated to safe spaces.

This after the City of Cape Town was granted a court order for homeless people to be removed from various sites in the CBD.

The sheriff of the court on Friday evicted people who illegally occupied areas along Buitengracht Street, Foregate Square, Helen Suzman Boulevard, and the foreshore, among others.

Geordin Hill-Lewis said that the city was happy about the significant take-up of its safe spaces, and restoring public places for public use.

Lee Taylor, who has been living on the streets for 16 years shares his experience.

“I was taken away here last week actually to safe space three, we come there, you get treated worse than a criminal that’s in Pollsmoor. So, they take us out there. This morning they come fetch us they take us to safe space two, they tell us there’s no space.”

Taylor said he now has no option but to return to the streets.

“Here’s a lot of people who don’t have family… Nothing… Where do we go to… They say there’s a lot of space. There’s no space. I was sitting from like 5.30am to 10am, waiting for a space.”

Hill-Lewis said some of the homeless were assisted to return to their communities, while others were linked to provincial social workers.

-EWN

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