Nora Grose: “We want to reintegrate them and it won’t happen with an ag shame-attitude.”

Give homeless people a hand up, rather than hand-outs. This was the message which councillor Nora Grose delivered at a meeting in Duynefontein last week.

Grose rolled out her vision for organised assistance for the people of Olive Close and Wolwerivier, as well as the homeless. She said, “We will work out a program where Olive Close and Wolwerivier become feeding points. Any item you want to dispose of will go to the people of Olive Close and Wolwerivier so they don’t  need to skarrel.” Of the homeless she said, “We want to reintegrate them and it won’t happen with an ag shame-attitude. Give them work opportunities.”

Vijen Rugbeer: Only 20% want to be reintegrated.

The supervisor of the City of Cape Town’s Street People’s Programme, Vijen Rugbeer, told of how efforts are being made to reintegrate homeless people into society. According to Rugbeer each street person is contacted six to eight times to see if he wants to be reintegrated into society.

If he does, he is put in contact with a reintegration officer who will assist him getting into a shelter, making contact with a social worker, and finding employment. Rugbeer noted that only “about 20% of the people we interview want the assistance. This is due to the drug problem.” The manager at the National Development Agency, Nomfundo Mdingi, asked that people contact her when new street people arrive in their area.

Contact Nora Grose at nora.grose@capetown.gov.za, Vijen Rugbeer at Vijen.Rugbeer@capetown.gov.za, Nomfundo Mdingi at nomfundo.mdingi@capetowngov.co.za