A fleet of 23 buses dispatched to pick up homeless people transporting them to a new emergency centre, the Strandfontein Sports Complex in Cape Town.
The Strandfontein Sports Complex was chosen as the camping site for the homeless because of its access to water, electricity and ease of access being located near the highway. The complex measures up to 240 000 square metres and six marquees have been erected over the weekend.
Hundreds homeless people arrived in Cape Town on Sunday and will be staying at managed facilities during the COVID-19 lockdown period. The Strandfontein where the homeless will be kept is near the False Bay coastline on the Cape Flats and is equipped with comprehensive range of services.
Due to social distancing, only 300 people will be accommodated in one place though each with their isolation tent. The site has showers, toilets, a mobile shop and a range of medical services. This place is being monitored by municipal law enforcement officers, metro police and private security.
Zahid Badroodien, City of Cape Town Mayco member for community services and health, confirmed that a fleet of 23 buses had been dispatched on Sunday to comb the metropolitan area, pick up homeless people, and transport them to the new emergency centre.
Zahid added that by Sunday night, they had delivered around 590 people to their new temporary home. The buses left to collect more people again on Monday morning.
