City of Tshwane cracks down on homelessness amid crime concerns

In a bold move, the City of Tshwane's MMC for Agriculture and Environmental Management, Obakeng Ramabodu, led a clean-up operation along the Apies River, resulting in the demolition of makeshift shelters housing homeless individuals.

Ramabodu accused the homeless of being robbers and criminals, claiming they stole valuables like cellphones and handbags from students of Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) and Unisa.

During the operation, metro police and waste management officials found individuals with allegedly stolen items, including handbags and a cellphone. 

Ramabodu believes that these items are evidence of the homeless individuals' involvement in criminal activities. 

"These people who sleep under the bridge and around the CBD as you enter town are criminals. This is what we found: handbags which belong to students who go to schools here at Unisa and TUT," he said.

This comes after over 200 TUT students voiced concerns about crime and safety in their areas during a colloquium hosted at Tshwane House last month.

Students residing in Sunnyside flats owned by foreigners reportedly face exposure to drugs and illicit activities, while those living in townships like Soshanguve and Ga-Rankuwa are frequently targeted by criminals who steal their valuables, including cellphones and laptops.

Ramabodu stressed that the valuable items found indicate criminal behaviour, saying: "These people are not homeless; these are crooks and criminals." 

He urged the metro police to review by-laws and take decisive action, warning that the city won't back down on its clean-up campaign. 

"We are going to engage with the metro police to intensify this programme at least once a week until we get it right," he said.

He also claimed that drugs were found in the possession of the individuals during the operation, stating that they included both South African and foreign nationals.

The Tshwane metro police are yet to comment on the plans to address homelessness and on whether the demolition of makeshift shelters was justified.

rapula.moatshe@inl.co.za