Mayor pushes for compassion-led plan for Che Guevara Road problem

IN DEALING with Durban's homeless population, particularly those who have been perennially camped on Che Guevara Road (formerly Moore Road) near Albert Park, Mayor Cyril Xaba said the situation must be handled with “compassion” and be people-centred.

- DAILY NEWS REPORTER

DURBAN mayor Cyril Xaba showed the human touch when he got a first-hand feel of the homelessness crisis on lower Che Guevara Road. | ethekwini Municipality

(ethekwini Municipality)

Xaba justified this approach by stating that every homeless person's circumstances differed.

During a walkabout on Wednesday, Xaba gained firsthand experience of the area under the M4 Southern Freeway, which has gained notoriety for being a haven for drug users, prostitutes, criminals and vagrants.

Those who congregate in the area, which is also a busy thoroughfare between the Durban Port and the city centre, have occupied sidewalks, railway lines and available open spaces in the zone for more than a decade. Their informal abodes are usually constructed from plastic and other material, and some individuals are seen openly consuming narcotic substances.

As part of crime-prevention interventions, police have conducted numerous raids at the Che Guevara site, forcing those living there to flee. However, their displacement typically lasts only a few hours. Once the police presence subsides and cleanup operations are concluded, they reoccupy the area.