Francis Hweshe
10 November 2008
Burundian refugees, who are among the 135 people who have refused to move from the closed Youngsfield camp in Wynberg, are being given alternative accommodation this week while they await repatriation.
Burundian refugee leader Richard Nifasha said the government had indicated that women and children would be moved to a shelter, but had not yet specified where it would be.
Nifasha said they had been informed that the Burundian men would also be moved to a separate house in Salt River.
This had not gone down well with the refugees as they did not want to be separated from their families, he said.
Nothing had been said about Somalis, Congolese and the other refugees who had refused reintegration because they feared for their safety in local communities.
He said there were now about 135 refugees left, as more than a dozen had moved out of the site and returned to communities because of the deteriorating living conditions.
Food and electricity were cut off at the Youngsfield site by the government when it shut it down more than two weeks ago, resulting in camp residents appealing for humanitarian assistance.
At Blue Waters, Burundian refugee leader Callixte Kavuro, said although the government had indicated last week that the camp was closing down, refugees had continued to receive food and electricity at the weekend.
Kavuro said some refugees were waiting for rental subsidies to help them reintegrate into local communities, while others preferred to return home as they feared a repeat of the xenophobic attacks.
Kavuro said although he had a wife and a child in the camp, he would not move back into the his old community immediately.
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