Durban — Homeless people at a Durban meeting pleaded with political representatives to help them get their identity documents in time to vote next month, among other burning requests.
Political party members met the group in a town hall meeting facilitated by Sphamandla Mhlongo from the Democracy Development Programme at the Denis Hurley Centre, on Wednesday.
The politicians who presented and tackled questions from the audience were DA MPL Mmabatho Tembe; EFF chairperson Themba Mvubu; IFP eThekwini representative Nothando Mchunu and uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP) eThekwini representative Bonginkosi Dlamini.
The ANC was invited but did not participate.
National Homeless Network representative Simphiwe Khoza stressed the importance of homeless people and how they had been forgotten by society, presenting a “manifesto of the homeless”.
“We know that almost none of the political parties contesting the elections on May 29 have included the homeless in any of their manifestos, yet this problem of homeless people is the most obvious social issue in the country. We call upon all parties, government and public to take notice of our manifesto and join us in addressing the critical issue of the homeless,” he said.
“Many do not have an identity document and that prevents them from exercising their right to vote. In some cases, their ID has been lost or destroyed in their living conditions.”
Sihle Majola, who is homeless, pleaded with the politicians to help with obtaining IDs for the many people in the audience who had no documentation.
“I want to vote next month but I have no idea what to do. Please guide me on how to get my ID?” he asked.
Thakasani Mabaso said he wanted the government to create jobs for people over the age of 35.
“I have been homeless for almost three years because of problems at home. I want to get a job or be trained by government with skills that will help me get a job. My issue is that most of the entry-level jobs offered by government are not for people who are over the age of 35. I am homeless and living on the street with no ID,“ he said.
Nokulunga Ndlovu said she had been homeless since 2021, when she left her home in Nkandla to look for work in eThekwini.
“Life was difficult for me because I needed a job that would feed me, my family and my two children back home. After trying to get a stable job with no luck, I became homeless, until I started living in the shelter near Umgeni Durban Station. There we only eat one meal a day but it ensures that we live,” she said.
She said she was one of the people who had not been paid for cleaning the streets during municipal worker protests.
“During the municipality worker protests last month, we risked our lives and joined our local councillors in cleaning the streets of Durban. We came from Ward 26, 28 and 32.
“There were 50 homeless people in our group of about 600 people who worked from 6pm to 2am every day. We were promised R300 a day for our service, but we have not been paid for three weeks. We were promised payments for April 15, now we are waiting for May 3,” she said.
Another homeless man, Nkosinathi Zondo, said he wanted to be a soldier in the SANDF one day, an option he believed would help other homeless people too.
“The Land Act of 1913 has still not been resolved, that is why many black people do not own land. It is an issue because when you are unemployed for too long and without a home or support you may end up on the street. I want to play a role in protecting my country at the border as a soldier and also earn a living.”
Zama Zungu from Inanda said she had lived on the streets for five years and complained of the abuse suffered by people in her situation.
“I have seen many girls being harassed in my community. Many criminals and some law officers have taken advantage of the fact that we have no one to fight for us. Thankfully, the homeless shelter in my area in Mtshebheni is my refuge. I have gained many skills from them such as business management,” she said.
The political party representatives in attendance agreed it was important to create policies that would include homeless people and their right to vote.
Tembe (DA) promised to put in a motion to the national chapter that would tackle these issues in accordance with the Constitution, while Mchunu (IFP) promised to visit the Denis Hurley Centre often for one-on-ones with the homeless and report back to her department on the next steps to help them vote.
Independent on Saturday