Street people’s movement awaits SAHRC response

NEARLY six years after the Street People’s Movement submitted a dossier of complaints to the SA Human Rights Commission, accusing the City, CCID, and the police of violating the rights of homeless people in the metro, the commission is yet to release its findings.

This as it held an engagement with the government on the plight of the homeless community last week. The engagement followed what the commission said were several complaints lodged in recent years relating to the treatment of homeless people by law enforcement agencies.

The commission said that over the past few years, it received and noted a multitude of challenges faced by the people living and sleeping on the streets in the Cape Town metro and the province at large.

It said the meeting’s primary purpose was to engage with the Western Cape Intergovernmental Forum regarding best practices and mechanisms to deal with the issue of homelessness.

The Nehemia Call Initiative said it took the commission almost a year (August 2017) to forward the case to the respondents after a complaint was filed in October 2016. It has now demanded that the commission release the findings of its investigation.

At the time the dossier contained submissions from more than 100 homeless people with complaints including the use of force by the law enforcement agencies and threats, harassment, and intimidation.

They also complained about the shortage of shelters in the CBD.

In a letter to the City, CCID, police and the Department of Social Development, dated August 23, 2017, the commission raised 12 questions which it gave the respondents until September 19, 2017, to respond to.

The police were asked about the human rights training provided to its members to ensure that their actions do not violate the rights of the homeless. The City was quizzed about its authority to demolish homeless people’s structures, alternative accommodation for the homeless, water and sanitation plans for the homeless, and its plans to house the homeless. The Social Development Department was asked about its oversight of shelters, and its plans to expand shelters.

Nehemia Call Initiative founder Dean Ramjoomia, who was the main complainant, said while there had been significant changes, some of the complaints were still outstanding.

“Some of the respondents failed to answer the Street People’s Movement complaints and the SAHRC itself failed to adequately and properly hold the COCT, CCID, and SAPS accountable as it relates to our people’s document,” Ramjoomia said. The commissioner’s office would not respond to questions, stating that it would make contact with the complainant regarding the matter and update him directly.