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South Africa: Not Enough Shelter for 'Township's Refugees'
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Business Day (Johannesburg)
15 May 2008
Posted to the web 15 May 2008
Chantelle Benjamin and Luphert Chilwane
Johannesburg
THERE was still no solution yesterday to the refugee crisis at Alexandra police station, with the government admitting there was no location big enough to provide temporary shelter to all those left homeless.
Gauteng safety and security MEC Firoz Cachalia said yesterday that a task team, chaired by his department and consisting of various government departments including home affairs, housing, and social development, had been set up at the police station to oversee deployment of police and metro police units in the township as well as the provision of food, medical attention and sanitation.
He was speaking after a meeting between police and the Gauteng provincial executive committee consisting of chairman Paul Mashatile, Ignatius Jacobs, Barbara Creecy and housing MEC Nomvula Mokonyane, Cachalia and Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, a national executive committee member of the African National Congress.
The committee held meetings on Tuesday with various community organisations to get a better understanding of what had fuelled the violence in Alexandra on Sunday, and held talks yesterday with senior police officials at Alexandra police station and some of the victims.
Cachalia said: "Our immediate concern is to restore safety and normality to the area and get shelter for those evicted.
"Unfortunately we have had a problem finding suitable, safe accommodation for those involved." He said the aim was to make people at the station as comfortable as possible in the circumstances.
Madikizela-Mandela, during a visit to some of the refugees sitting with their meagre possessions in an enclosed area outside the station, apologised for the attacks: "I am sorry ... not all South Africans are like this."
She assured the group they could remain at the station as long as they liked. Medical care would be provided, and assistance would be given to those wishing to go home if they needed help with their belongings.
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Yesterday police offloaded about 10 boxes of police riot gear at the station. Asked about it, police spokesman Dir Govindsamy Mariemuthoo said the situation in Alexandra was still tense and it made "sense for police to be prepared for any eventuality". He said 53 people had been arrested. Two had been murdered and 63 were hurt. Most arrests were for rape, robbery and public violence.
Police from other sectors have been deployed to the township, as well as Gauteng metro police. They would stay there as long as necessary, Cachalia said.
Police and the government admitted yesterday they were concerned about the violence, which has continued since Sunday. Police yesterday sent out flyers to shebeens and taverns asking them to close down from 8am-5pm until the situation in Alexandra improved.
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