Help for the homeless
Help for the homeless
Homeless people in Cape Town will soon be able to replace lost, stolen and confiscated Identity Documents (IDs) to register for the Covid-19 vaccine.
Western Cape Provincial MEC for Health, Minister Nomafrench Mbombo, visited The Hope Exchange (THE), an organisation that provides essential services to the growing population of people living on the streets in Cape Town, at the beginning of July after receiving the request for lost, stolen and confiscated IDs to be reissued.
According to Peter Solomon, director at THE, a recent survey conducted by THE found that 60% of regular street-based people who use THE showers, toilets and laundry facilities did not have a South African ID. “This initiative was started in 2019 when THE sent a letter to the IEC offering its support and site to enable voter registration for street-based people ahead of the 2021 Municipal Election,” says Solomon.
“In May 2021, Michael Hendrickse, IEC Western Cape provincial commissioner, responded favourably to the request and 10 key locations were subsequently identified by the Strandfontein Homeless Action Committee and NGOs within the Street People’s Forum as key voter registration sites across the municipality.”
Online vaccine registration was also identified as contingent upon having a South African ID number, thereby excluding many street-based South African citizens and non-nationals without one.
“We collectively wrote to the Department of Health to bring these three inter-related issues to the attention of Minister Mbombo, who responded swiftly with a visit to THE. She pledged her commitment to engage the Department of Home Affairs in assisting with reissuing ID documents so that the constitutional rights of street-based people would be upheld.
“To assist with the process to obtain IDs for all street people, the Minister requested that homeless organisations provide details of everyone who does not currently hold an ID. They will prioritise the 50-year-olds and above first, as these people are in the most vulnerable age group,” says Solomon.
THE provides essential services to the growing population of people living on the streets, many of whom are forced there by circumstances. These services include day-to-day basic needs like washing facilities, clothing, medical support, ID services, psychosocial services and short-term second phase accommodation.
Its main goal is to create contact points with homeless individuals and to support their social needs. Ultimately the aim is to provide a stepping-stone for their reintegration into society, reuniting them with family and giving them the support they need to find employment and become self-sustaining.
Published by

SHEQ Management
sheqmag_sa
