PICS: Fears that displaced 'whoonga park' addicts will move into suburbs

Zainul Dawood|Published 6 years ago

On Thursday, the Durban Metro and South African Police Servicesbegan removing the vagrants, drug addicts and homeless people from the under the M4 south bridges. Picture by Karin Larsen Dreyer- Umbilo Community Policing Forum

Durban - The displacement of hundreds of drug addicts from Albert Park and Maydon Wharf has caused fear in the neighbouring Umbilo and Glenwood communities, said the Community Policing Forum (CPF) on Friday.

Karin Larsen Dreyer, a spokesperson for the Umbilo CPF, said they have viewed the displacement of these homeless, and many whoonga addicts as serious, and very alarming for their community.

Dreyer said their crime rate is already escalating.

"These people been displaced are angry and very volatile at the moment, due to been chased, so not a good thing at all for us as the community closest to them. We have already witnessed them flocking into our community with their blankets, and belongings, so more homeless now sleeping on our streets, in our parks, begging in our community and many also committing crimes," Dreyer said.

"Please don't be fooled by those who tell you this is not a problem, for years it been a problem under the bridge, and they could not sort it out. Now all they have done to clean up this area, is to displace them all, and to where? Into our community," she added.

On Thursday, the Durban Metro and South African Police Services converged on the area and began removing the vagrants, drug addicts and homeless people from the under the M4 south bridges, Albert Park, Maydon Wharf and Che Guevara (Moore) Road.

Similar clean-ups have been done on several occasions over seven years but without any success. The displaced soon trickle back.

PICS: Fears that displaced 'whoonga park' addicts will move into suburbs

Daily News