Illovo residents seek answers on shelter project
Residents of Lower Illovo and surrounding areas have
gathered at the Amanzimtoti Civic Centre where eThekwini Deputy Mayor Zandile
Myeni is expected to address them about the construction of a new homeless shelter.
The Sakhithemba Home project is a 400-bed facility that is expected to cost the city just over R13 million.
The City says it will provide drug rehabilitation, skills development, and reunification services.
It was originally set to be built at the Block AK site in Durban Central.
However, according to the Inner-City Regeneration Committee, that location was deemed unsuitable mainly because of its proximity to tourist hotspots like the Moses Mabhida Stadium.
Lower Illovo residents say the proposed new site is not right either.
READ: Ramaphosa visits EC disaster zone after deadly floods
Gopie Tagat, spokesperson for the Lower Illovo and Neighbouring Areas Group, says there are many reasons why the location is not appropriate.
"There is a primary school 20 meters away from that building. There is a church 10 meters away from that building. There is a temple 30 meters from that building. The business park area surrounds this building.
"This is a flood disaster area. We have had about three floods. The last flood washed a bridge away. So I am saying, government, why would you [want to] invest in a flood disaster area? "
Thami Soni, who says he has lived in Illovo for 46 years, feels the city is using the area as a dumping ground.
He believes this is just the rebirth of a failed project from a few years ago.
" We don't feel comfortable, in fact, we are scared because of something that is [going] to happen. Imagine if we had a problem with 45 of them, now they are saying about 400 to 1200 and of which you are not even sure.
"They are not even sure because they do not have a specific number for the people they are bringing in there, and yet they [are not] giving us a full explanation of what they are building there because they even mentioned that those people are drug addicts."
The Denis Hurley Centre, which provides various services tothe homeless in the Durban CBD, has previously said that while it supports assistance to those living on the streets, it was concerned about what appeared to be the lack of consultation with the Lower Illovo residents and the Durban homeless community about the planned relocation.
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