ATLANTIC SEABOARD | CITY EDITION
TUESDAY 18 August 2020 | Tel: 021 910 6500 | Email: post@peoplespost.co.za | Website: www.peoplespost.co.za
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People’s Post
SEA POINT | FRESNAYE | BANTRY BAY
Hope for the homeless KAYLYNNE BANTOM KAYLYNNE.BANTOM@MEDIA24.COM
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lies, helping them to obtain identification documents and facilitating whatever social services they require. “Project H.O.P.E. will collaborate with the City of Cape Town and other non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in this regard,” added October. October says their focus is also on family reunification. “Family reunification is a vital aspect of the project as family members often offer the most natural support base for a homeless person in terms of rehabilitation to help get the person back into society as a functional, self-supporting and independ-
ent individual.” However, he admits that this is not an easy process as most homeless people land up on the streets as a result of family-related quarrels. Kevin Alexander, one of the first fieldwork officers appointed, says: “With my years of experience of working with the homeless and street people, as former manager at a shelter for the homeless and former manager of an outpatient drug rehab centre, I am looking forward to making a positive impact in this position,” he says. October says the community can get in-
volved by visiting the Project H.O.P.E. Cape Town Facebook page. “People can also offer donations such as clothing and toiletries. We also welcome monetary donations towards our family reunification programme for transport such as bus tickets.” He says since the launch of the project they have successfully reunited four homeless people with their families. “We have also placed a number of homeless people at the shelters and safe spaces where there were bed spaces available. We are however experiencing challenges with a lack of shelter spaces,” explains October.
he Sea Point, Fresnaye and Bantry Bay Ratepayers’ Association (SFB) is collaborating with community organisation Play Sport4Life to reduce and reverse the problem of homelessness in Sea Point, Bantry Bay and the broader Atlantic Seaboard areas. The organisations aims to improve the lives and well-being of disadvantaged communities by providing athletic opportunities through their newly launched Project H.O.P.E. (Homelessness Outreach Prevention and Education) which kicked off at the start of July. Miles October, Play Sport4Life founder and SFB committee member, says there has been an increase in the number of people finding themselves on the streets, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic. “The project has a vision of creating a one-stop hub that project workers will use as a base from which to work and be accessible for the homeless to visit easily to see field workers for assistance. The hub would also serve as a drop-off point for donations and food from where it will be sent to the shelters and safe spaces. This activity will be part of the campaigns for responsible giving,” explains October. He says the SFB sees the hub as a centre that will combine residents’ and ratepayers’ efforts in a single multi-faceted operation to manage the issues of homelessness on the one hand and meet the expectations of ratepayers and residents on the other. “Project H.O.P.E. is a unique opportunity for the City of Cape Town to work co-operatively with an initiative privately funded by residents to take the lead in managing homeless people effectively and humanely.” October says one of the first steps Project H.O.P.E. has implemented is to appoint the first field worker to work in the area. He says the duty of the fieldworker includes finding shelter space for the affected people, working Thanks to Project H.O.P.E, Siyanthanda Lingana (left) and Sinethemba Ntlonzo (right) recently returned home to their families in Butterworth and the to reunite them with their fami- Eastern Cape. They are pictured with field worker Kevin Alexander (centre). PHOTO: KEVIN ALEXANDER
Residents to assist in mapping the future of District Six The City of Cape Town says it is gearing-up for extensive engagements with Capetonians about the future of District Six. The first priority of these engagements is the drafting of a local spatial development framework. Residents are called to register in order to be part of the upcoming public engagement process. Mayor Dan Plato says: “The City is not involved in the restitution process, nor the development itself. However, we have an important role to play in creating an overall planning vision for District Six and we
will do so in collaboration with the District Six community, and other Capetonians.” Plato says the national department of rural development and land reform recently gave the City permission to use the District Six development framework of 2012 as the foundation for the imminent engagements and collaboration set to take place with residents. He says a lot of work was done in preparing the 2012 framework and this will be the basis for the drafting and refinement of a final local spatial development framework for District Six in coming months.
Marian Nieuwoudt, Mayco member for spatial planning and environment, says the process of developing a neighbourhood plan or local spatial development framework will be undertaken in collaboration with the District Six community, other residents, and interested and affected parties. “I will announce the programme and upcoming engagements later this month, once we have obtained approval from the local subcouncil to commence with the public participation process,” explained Nieuwoudt. She says the City is busy compiling a da-
tabase of residents, interested and affected parties, stakeholders, civic organisations, non-profit organisations and leadership groups who want to be part of this process. She says those on the list will receive regular updates about upcoming events and engagements. Nieuwoudt says to date, a total of 45 residents, interested and affected parties, and stakeholders have registered and have been included on the database. V Those who wish to register can send an email to districtsix.lsdf@capetown.gov.za or Dilshard.modak@capetown.gov.za.