Cape Town - Homeless people living alongside a quarry near Bo-Kaap say they are tired of being harassed by law enforcement officials following an incident on Thursday morning when some of their belongings were confiscated.
Rafiek Collins, 24, said the officials arrived at around 10am on Thursday and asked them to move.
He said three trucks, a police vehicle and law enforcement vehicles were involved.
About 15 people were rebuilding their makeshift shacks when the Cape Argus visited the scene.
“I wanted to pack my things first but they refused and said I should go. When I tried to pick up some of my things, they just grabbed me by the neck and dragged me outside.”
Collins showed the Cape Argus marks on his neck he claims were from being manhandled.
“Some of my stuff is missing. I don’t know where my mattress is.”
Noxolo Kula, 23, said she had been doing her washing when she was told to move.
She said she was chased out of her makeshift shack and lost a bag that contained her ID document and all her money in the process.
Kula said she was tired of being harassed.
“No one is here because they want to be here; we have nowhere else to go. Where will I get the R140 for another ID? If they come to harass us again we will build our houses in the street (High Level Road) so they can arrest us for the right thing.”
Police spokesman Captain FC van Wyk said the police did not deal with the eviction of homeless people and if they were there it would have been “to uphold law and order”.
JP Smith, mayoral committee member for safety and security, said they were not involved.
- Cape Argus
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