Cape Town asked to review homelessness by-laws
The City of Cape Town must review and amend all by-laws that criminalise homelessness without just cause.
This was one of more than 150 recommendations in a report into homelessness commissioned by the city, reveals GroundUp.
The more than 400-page report was compiled by The Inkathalo Conversations.
It criticises the local government’s current response to homelessness and questions its processes that produced the recent changes to city by-laws.
The report was expected to be released over a year ago.
Changes to the city’s by-laws, passed on 29 September, appear to run contrary to the report’s recommendations, particularly those that fine homeless people for refusing offers of shelter.
The report covers eight general areas, including the criminalisation of homeless people, and the institutional drivers of homelessness. It also features ‘special reports’ on what it calls homeless tax, and on the controversial Strandfontein Camp that was established by the city for local homeless people as a response to the Covid pandemic.
The report’s recommendations largely focused on amending the city’s 2013 Street People Policy, but also offered suggestions for national and provincial governments’ responses to homelessness.
City spokesperson Luthando Tyhalibongo reportedly told GroundUp: ‘The city is reviewing the Street People Policy, and will review the (report) during the process. More communication on the Street People Policy will be released by the incoming Mayoral Committee Member.’
Article disclaimer: While we have made every effort to ensure the accuracy of this article, it is not intended to provide final legal advice as facts and situations will differ from case to case, and therefore specific legal advice should be sought with a lawyer.
