The City of Cape Town has made an offer to the group of refugees who have been occupying spaces around the Cape Town CBD, to have them moved to a shelter.
MAYCO member for safety and security Alderman JP Smith told The South African that he had offered the group of refugees bed space in some of the night shelters around the Cape Town CBD .
Nevertheless the group is yet to confirm whether they have accepted the proposal.
“The City offered them shelter several weeks ago, and they refused it,” he said. “We remain willing to help them at such point as they decide to take us up on the offer.
“We will assist them and provide transport, but they must be sincere with us if they want to engage because they have given us quite a run-around up to this point,” said Smith.
Refugee leader, Papy Sukami, said he was “very grateful” for the City’s offer to move the group into a shelter over the weekend.
The leader noted the dangers of living in the streets amidst the coronavirus Covid-19 outbreak.
He said that as far as he knew, there had been no positive coronavirus cases among the 200-plus refugee.
“Luckily there are no cases,” he said. “But with everything that is happening, it is not safe for them to be staying on the street.”
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