Vagrants told to leave cave

Gallery

MOSSEL BAY NEWS - On Wednesday, 23 June, people living in caves along the St Blaize Trail were told to leave.

They were approached by two of the trail guards, who patrol regularly and they said they would move themselves, however municipal law enforcement, together with the police frequently must clear items away from the caves and bushes near the trail and checks were to be done later on Wednesday to ensure the vagrants had left.

The Bo-Dorp Neighbourhood Watch (NHW) patrols the area regularly and the Community Works Programme guards at the trail operate under the auspices of the NHW.

Leon van Dyk, chairman of the NHW, expressed his concern about the situation in which almost weekly, vagrants are removed from this area.

Photo gallery: Vagrants told to leave caves along St Blaize Trail

He said: "This is a social issue that needs to be dealt with through government departments. If people do not have homes, they make use of natural resources."

Littering
Van Dyk said the cave dwellers had to be removed because of the problems of littering, lack of safety and because there were no resources in terms of sanitation and toilets.

"Some of the vagrants resort to begging and criminal activities," he said.

"Regular checks are done by ourselves (NHW) and municipal law enforcement.

"People are desperate and move from place to place - from the bushes to the caves. It is happening more often than it used to."

Mossel Bay Police spokesperson Warrant Officer Pieter Koekemoer said: "Almost weekly we remove people. A few weeks ago we took away a double bed and a couch," Koekemoer said.

Mossel Bay Municipality spokesperson Nickey le Roux said: "Homelessness is an ongoing problem that requires considerable resources to combat.

"Although the municipality is not insensitive to the homeless, especially given the current economic conditions that contribute to unemployment, the lifestyle cannot be encouraged or allowed.

'Nobody may sleep in public'
"According to by-laws, nobody may sleep in public, such as on sidewalks, in doorways or even in rock shelters."

Le Roux said the municipality regularly appealed to residents to not support homeless people's lifestyle, with handouts or by giving money, but rather to contribute to institutions and programmes which provided an alternative for the homeless.

She said: "The municipality's personnel regularly monitor and act against homeless people who sleep in public and the municipality supports the initiatives of our community safety partners, among others, the police, neighbourhood watches, and the Central Improvement District [non-profit organisation], which removes illegal shelters.

"From experience, the informal living areas of the homeless are not always found to be hygienic, which places a burden on taxpayers when municipal staff have to clean the areas. Also, the informal shelters may create fire and health hazards for municipal residents."

Le Roux noted: "Mossel Bay's economy depends largely on tourism and incidents in which tourists are accosted cannot be tolerated."

The Haven Night Shelter in Mossel Bay accommodates the homeless, but sometimes people refuse to comply with The Haven rules and are asked to leave and end up on the street again.

Vagrants' items are removed almost on a weekly basis, according to police. Photos: Johan Swanepoel