Community calls for essential services to tackle homelessness in Pietermaritzburg

The Inkunzi Isematholeni Foundation People Who Use Drugs (PWUD) community stated that essential services were important for the homeless in the Msunduzi Municipality.

The foundation had received a response from the municipality after they handed in a memorandum of demands in March outside the Pietermaritzburg City Hall.

Zinhle Ngcobo, advocacy officer of Inkunzi Isematholeni Foundation, said that the memorandum outlined concerns and demands regarding the rights to shelter, water, food and other essentials needs for the residents of Pietermaritzburg.

Ngcobo said the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa guarantees every person access to adequate housing, sufficient food and water, healthcare services, and security. Ngcobo also wanted to get transparency and more details about a shelter that will be utilised by homeless people in the Pietermaritzburg CBD.

“Despite these constitutional guarantees, many residents of Pietermaritzburg continue to face significant challenges in accessing these basic needs rights,” Ngcobo said.

Anthony Waldhausen, chief executive officer of Msunduzi Association of Residents Ratepayers and Civics (MARRC) said they were supportive of initiatives to address homelessness which include providing a building to the PMB Homeless Network by the municipality.

“They have started refurbishment of the building to make it conducive for those who are homeless. We call on the community and business to support the PMB Homeless Network refurbishment plans by sponsoring resources and funding for the project,” Waldhausen said.

Nelisiwe Ngcobo, acting municipal manager of Msunduzi Municipality (MM) said that through sustainable and compassionate solutions, the municipality maintains its commitment to ensuring basic human rights services that uphold the dignity and well-being of all residents, including vulnerable groups.

Ngcobo said this initiative extends beyond the municipality and is achieved through collaborative efforts with multifaceted stakeholders, including the Department of Social Development, social development agencies and non-governmental organisations (NGOs).

Meanwhile, Durban’s Denis Hurley Centre Director: Raymond Perrier said that the National Homeless Network is also offering public on-line seminars every quarter. Perrier said these webinars are an opportunity to focus on one particular aspect of the very complex issue of homelessness, and learn from the experiences of experts in that area.

The first webinar took place in February on the subject of responses to addiction. The host was Lise Maartens who is based at the Cape Town branch of Mould-Empower-Serve (MES) which operates in several cities across the country. The next webinar is expected to be held in May.

“Ronnie Naude, who works with MES in Gqeberha, spoke passionately about his own journey of recovery and the key role that Christian faith had played for him. He pointed out that recovery only works when we deal with the need for an underlying change of heart,” Perrier said.

A second speaker, Maletje Maleka was from the Community-Oriented Substance use Programme (COSUP) which is part of the University of Pretoria. Perrier said their focus is on working on the ground with communities and, where possible, making sure that the municipality and local clinics are part of the response to addiction.

“We were especially privileged to welcome Dr David Hain who is based in America but also works frequently in South Africa. He shared a vivid image of a person as a Russian doll and stressed the need to dig deep down to find the cause of an addiction. When asked if we could change an addict who is not yet ready for a recovery programme, he answered: “We cannot change the person, but we can change our attitude to the person.” Perrier explained.

zainul.dawood@inl.co.za