City responds to claims of harassment of street people
2 July 2019
The City of Cape Town notes the ongoing reports about the harassment of street people, particularly the issuing of fines by Law Enforcement; and the attempts to paint the City as uncaring.
For the record, the City of Cape Town is one of the few administrations that has invested in the plight of our street people through a host of interventions in the last decade. The City is invested in helping all people, because we care about the safety of our residents.
Our efforts have seen the Social Development and Early Childhood Development Department work closely with our Displaced Persons Unit within Law Enforcement, with the aim of offering social assistance to individuals who live on the streets and ultimately to reintegrate them with their families and communities of origin.
These efforts are underpinned by the City’s Street People policy, which recognises the complexities that accompany homelessness, and attempts to address them.