“Where is the humanity?”

An uproar has surged over the city’s implementation of a by-law that leads to homeless people being fined up to R1500 for sleeping on pavements or erecting illegal structures, with the SA Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) saying they are launching an investigation into this matter.

The SAHRC commissioner Chris Nissen said his team would look into whether the by-laws infringed upon the human rights of the homeless with reference to chapter 2, section 27 in the constitution that speaks about health care, food, water and social security.

Chris went on further to say that the underlying issues need to be addressed, that the homelessness of these people are a societal problem, like the violence that infests the streets of the Western Cape, and that he had in fact brought up this issue with the former mayor but will be meeting with the current mayor to engage on this matter and address the undignified solution and how to deal with it in a more compassionate way
‘It’s winter, it’s cold, where is the humanity?’ stresses the Human Rights Commissioner.

By: Aneeqa du Plessis