The city continues to follow a humane approach to addressing homelessness

25 July 2019

This morning we were made aware of unconfirmed reports of Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD) officers allegedly fining homeless and displaced persons within the City.

We would like to assure residents that this is not the position of the City.

Where residents have information about such activities, we encourage them to contact us. JMPD adopts a humane approach when dealing with displaced persons.

The City has not taken the position to issue homeless and displaced persons with citations.

The reasons being:

- Firstly, homeless and displaced persons would not be able to pay the fines  so issued;

- Secondly, this category of persons do not have valid fixed addresses which must be recorded on the citation; and

- Thirdly, the City would then have racked up a substantial amount of “revenue” in fines but would not be able to recover them.

Johannesburg, like many metropoles around the world, grapples with meeting the needs of displaced persons who seek refuge and shelter in various parts of the City.

The Inner City of Johannesburg has the biggest number of homeless compared to other regions.

City of Johannesburg’s population grows at an estimated rate of 3000 new residents every month. Many come to the City seeking a better life for one reason or another while others come to the City in search of economic opportunities. Some of these persons become displaced.

In the context of the City’s historic poor investment in affordable housing delivery, the challenge faced by displaced persons is further exacerbated. 

Whilst the City’s by-laws prohibit loitering and unauthorised usage of public open spaces and other infrastructures, such as underneath the bridges and pavements, these places have become the preferred shelter for homeless and displaced persons.

As the City, we work to ensure we strike a balance between ensuring laws are been upheld whilst also recognising the vulnerable position of homeless and displaced residents.

Often, JMPD will receive complaints to remove homeless persons from private property such as shop fronts, pavements and even in front of people’s homes.

JMPD attends to these call by escorting the persons away from the site of a complaint and take them one of the nearest shelters.

At times, it may become necessary for JMPD to remove persons from the side of the road or from underneath bridges for their safety and the safety of motorists.

The City will continue to follow this approach concerning homeless and displaced persons.

As part of the City’s comprehensive strategy to assist the homeless, it has interventions to break the cycle of homelessness and transition homeless and displaced persons back into society. The key interventions managed by the City’s department of Social Development are shelter management, awareness and prevention, as well as community reintegration, family reunification and skills development.

Currently the City has the following three assessment centres which operate Monday to Friday, from 08h00 to 16h00:

Windsor West Assessment Centre: 23 Knights Street, Windsor West, Region B Ward 98;

Dan Street Assessment Centre: 1 Dan Street, Florida and the gate is on 4th Avenue, Region C, Ward 70; and

Governors House Assessment Centre: 28 Kotze Street and Queens Road, Hillbrow, Region F, Ward 60.

Linked to Governors House is 3 Kotze overnight shelter in Hillbrow.  The center has 150 beds and caters primarily for economically active street-dwellers. Occupants of the shelter are only expected to pay a nominal fee of R8 and get access to a bed, washing facilities, food and a locker.

“The 3 Kotze Street shelter also partners with NGOs such as Chow4Change, which seeks to restore the dignity of homeless and street people and communicate their plight to greater society. Some of the other interventions offered by Social Development include outreach services, where the department targets hotspots that are invaded by street and homeless people. At the hotspots, education about the services available for them and how to access such services is provided. Residents can contact the City’s Displace Persons Unit on: 011 407 7274” said Phalatse.

Issued by Luyanda Longwe, Stakeholder Manager: Office of the MMC for Public Safety, 25 July 2019