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On Friday evening, 27 March 2020, the City of Joburg took a decision to bus homeless people to Young Men Christian Association (YMCA) in Soweto, Orlando East.
This was after YMCA communicated to the city, its availability to assist the City house the homeless.
The City accepted this offer from the owner of YMCA as the shelters, 3 Kotze Overnight shelter and Governors House Assessment Centre in Braamfontein in particular were oversubscribed as the call for the homeless to be directed/ present themselves to shelters in the City filtered through the streets.
The City took a decision to bus the homeless to YMCA using the services of Metrobus (13 buses), escorted by JMPD. However, the number grew overnight as word spread out that YMCA is accommodating homeless, increasing the numbers that were initially accounted for.
As these growing numbers were not anticipated, this resulted into the shortage of food and other supplies and posed a challenge to the provision of security on site.
The City has moved the homeless from YMCA yesterday, 28 March 2020, to various Recreational Centres across the City. The City is working with the Provincial Department of Social Development to ensure that the homeless are housed, fed and secured in the City’s facilities.
The City would like to apologise to the community of Orlando East.
We urge communities to support the City in its efforts to take care of the homeless during this Lockdown period.
ENDS
For Media Enquiries
Mlimandlela Ndamase
Mayoral Communications
MlimandlelaN@joburg.org.za
083 480 0014
#COJDMC COVID-19 Joint Operation Centre 24/7 number is 010 224 0932
