Vagrancy and dumping at Lansdowne station continue to be a problem and at last week’s Sub-council 17 meeting, a motion to rehabilitate the area and replace the existing fence with a wall was accepted.
The area’s ward councillor, Mark Kleinschmidt, said the matter had been getting worse over the past 15 years and that little had been done to resolve the problem (“Gripes about homeless at station”, Athlone News, June 28 2017).
Mr Kleinschmidt suggested the community team up with the relevant City of Cape Town departments to clean up the area and that a wall be built to replace the fencing along the railway line because the fence was being broken by vagrants who tied their tents to it.
He added that the homeless people’s anti-social behaviour negatively impacted on residents, businesses and commuters – and posed a health risk.
“As ward councillor I have summoned meetings by all relevant stakeholder directorates to assist in the rehabilitation and restoration of the precinct. Metrorail officials have also shown willingness to partner with the City of Cape Town in order to rehabilitate the precinct,” Mr Kleinschmidt said.
He also suggested that a nearby vacant building, owned by the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA), be renovated and put to use.
Mr Kleinschmidt said:“We have had several clean ups in the area by SAPS and law enforcement but it rehashes every time. Every time the fence is mended, a hole gets made and that is dangerous because it creates access to the railway line and we’ve had a near fatality.”
“There is one vagrant who has started planting shrubs and other plants and we need more of that so that commuters can use the parking at the station and the pavements. We have a responsibility to support our residents,” he said.
Agreeing with this, Sub-council 17 chairman George March said landscaping the area could help to creates job opportunities for the homeless if they were given the responsibility of rehabilitating and looking after the area.
“The department of social development must also be involved because these people have no (identity documents). I will be liaising with all the relevant departments to make this happen,” he said.
Yorkshire neighbourhood watch chairman, Moosa Omar, however, was skeptical.
He wasn’t convinced that the construction of a Vibracrete wall would stop the homeless from building structures and attaching them to the wall, but felt palisade fencing, which was stronger, was a better option.
He also felt that the homeless were “uncivilised” and said the back of the station “looks like an informal settlement”.
“There are lots of break-ins in the area and people blame them,” he said. “Their washing goes missing off the lines, things in their yards are stolen and people are being robbed on their way to work.”
Mr Omar added that the homeless often returned soon after they had been moved and the area cleaned up.
“I’m not sure if this problem can even be solved.”
