By Rachel Mohamed During the winter months, the much talked-about topic that comes up often is the issue of homelessness. People ask or sometimes wonder how homeless people survive on the streets of Cape Town. Some people see the number of homeless people increasing due to the socio-economic conditions and the high standards of living as the main contributors to South Africa’s weakening economy. VOC News team took to the […]
By Aneeqa du Plessis Situated in the heart of Wynberg, the sixth oldest mosque in the country, Yusufeyyah Masjied is being desecrated daily after a group of homeless people have erected informal structures on the perimeter of the mosque. This is according to the secretary of the Yusufeyyah Masjid, Yunus Karriem. “The mosque was established 1867 and is rich in history. It sits in the middle of the Wynberg transport […]
LOCAL The City of Cape Town says it is conducting feasibility studies to expand shelters for the homeless, including in Green Point and Muizenberg. To mark World Homelessness Day on Sunday, the City announced a R140 million investment into its transitional Safe Spaces project over the next three years. Cape Town mayor Geordin Hill Lewis explains that homelessness is a complex issue that requires resources such as time, land and […]
LOCAL The Premier of Free State, Sisi Ntombela, has announced that they will on Monday start construction of new houses for Jagersfontein residents who were affected by the mine dam burst. Ntombela was speaking during the funeral service of Ralehana Aaron Mosoeu (78), who’s the only person confirmed dead from the disaster. Ralehana Aaron Mosoeu’s neighbour, told mourners at his funeral, that he woke him up, moments before the sludge […]
The South African Weather Services (SAWS) has predicted cold and wet weather across the central provinces until Thursday. Although the country will not experience a cold front such as the one that hit last week, winter is still in full swing with temperatures expected to drop. The harsh weather conditions have not been kind to the homeless in the City of Roses. Cold, hungry and cash-strapped, the homeless in Bloemfontein […]
There remains strong police and army presence at the Strandfontein Sports Grounds after a group of homeless people were involved in an altercation with police on Tuesday. About 1000 homeless people are living in a temporary shelter set up by the City of Cape Town to keep them off the streets during the 21-day lockdown, aimed at curbing the spread of the coronavirus. Hundreds of street people were bussed into […]
The City of Cape Town and the national government are in a feud over where to house refugees that have been squatting in the Cape Town CBD since October last year. A number of foreign nationals occupied the UNHRC building in Greenmark Square to demand that they are repatriated to other countries as they fear xenophobia in South Africa. After moving to the Central Methodist Church closeby, where some refugees […]
As citizens are repeatedly encouraged to remain indoors for the remaining 16 days of South Africa’s nationwide lockdown, concerns continue for those who don’t have a home to go to. In Cape Town alone there are still thousands of homeless who require protection from the coronavirus pandemic. The statistics are a stark reality of how threatening the virus is to those roaming around, with many criticizing the City’s efforts. On […]
Being told to self-isolate or work from home as the world grapples with Covid-19 is meaningless to people who rely on shelters for a bed and food. So how are some of South Africa's shelters adjusting to the declaration by President Cyril Ramaphosa on Sunday that there should not be more than 100 people in a group? For Hassan Khan of The Haven, which runs well-known shelters in Cape Town […]
VOC became the first Muslim radio station in South Africa when a special events license was granted to the station in Ramadan/January 1995. Subsequent temporary broadcast licenses were granted, permitting the station to broadcast for 24 hours.
