In Durban there has been great Jubilancy at the end of Load shedding. But now some have found them selves more in the dark than before. In the last 220 days since the end of deliberate power outages, those who were among the most destitute in Durban are saying the return of lasting electricity has deprived them of opportunities and income. Sifiso Ntuli (33) is one of a group of unemployed people who have been earning some money at busy sections around the city during power outages. They have been working as informal traffic Wardens.
On some days he comes up empty handed and has to queue for food from NGOs and religious organisations. Sfiso Ntuli, a homeless man, sorts recyclable materials in Morningside. Ntuli helped as an informal traffic warden during the dark days of load shedding in Durban. A recent study by an eThekwini Municipality entity showed that unemployment in Durban increased by 34,000 people in the fourth quarter of 2023, reaching a staggering 359,000. This coincided with a decrease of 11,000 employed people, suggesting fewer available jobs, likely because of the economic slowdown. The pandemic, the July 2021 riots, the 2022 floods, rolling blackouts and political instability all played a role in this rise in unemployment. It prompted the DA, which has members serving on the eThekwini Municipality’s executive committee, to issue a statement that Durban must do everything possible to change this.
The risk of being out of touch would the poor and homeless is going to be problematic for eThekwini Municipality and the City of Durban. It is the homeless and destitute who will lose out the most when it comes to informal income. These are the people who need help registering their Identity Documents (ID) and seeking better education and employment. The unemployed like Ntuli who knows the value of recyclable materials. Load shedding had its advantages to them as traffic wardens. It (load shedding) had been adapted into a way of life. The loss of jobs is a malaise that has affected large parts of the country. The rise in unemployment has left much to be desired of due to inflation and the growing tentacles of poverty. President Cyril Ramaphosa made many promises as regards to tackling the lack of jobs and poverty when he took office from former President Jacob Zuma in 2018.
This did not go so well, as his promises remained empty and the gap between rich and poor remains wide.
“Unskilled workers face immense challenges in securing stable employment. The failure of the city to provide adequate job opportunities exacerbates this crisis, leaving families struggling to make ends meet,” the party (Democratic Alliance) said. Life is tough for the thousands who sleep on the streets of KwaZulu-Natal’s major port city. Although some organisations try to help, government officials, the police and hospital staff often don’t treat them well. On the other hand, the eThekwini Municipality and the KwaZulu-Natal government have come under fire from local businesses and the tourism industry, which said crime, grime and vagrancy were major contributors in driving away investment and tourists from the city. Now that the traffic lights are working again in Durban, the city’s homeless people have lost precious income as informal traffic wardens.
In response, premier Thami Ntuli and other city officials embarked on an operation two weeks ago to clean the city by removing hundreds of people who slept under the M4 bridge in the Victoria Embankment area of the city. The people were forced out of the tunnel and some of their belongings were torched or hauled to rubbish dumps.
The problem with tackling the multi-headed hydra of poverty is that it has multiple causes such as joblessness, the high cost of living, lack of education etc. The national and provincial governments and local municipalities should all have their roles in tacking hold of the beast by addressing each of these issues. The treatment of the poor is a concerning issue for Durban/eThekwini as a whole. Helping those destitute to obtain ID is a first step to tackling their deep concerns. The risk of sexual diseases and drug addiction is a ticking time bomb amongst the homelessness as is the causes of prostitution and drug addiction. It is up to the mayor, the municipality and the provincial government in Pietermaritzburg to figure out a solution to this crisis before it exacerbates itself. There needs to be a rethink of how to improve the conditions of the destitute.
Forced removal of the homeless is not the solution to solving the crisis. By interacting and cooperating with civil society and home affairs department the suffering of the poor can be improved. Abducting those who live in poverty and confiscating their belongings when they have no ID is not a lasting solution to helping them get back on to their feet.
Meanwhile the police urged residents to take precautions to protect their vehicles and their valuables after there was an increase in car theft. In August, the Durban North SAPS embarked on a crime awareness project during which they urged city residents to be vigilant concerning thefts-out of motor vehicles.
Fast forward two months, and there has been a spike in the crime where suspected remote jammers were targeting residents and visitors to the area. The spokesperson for the Durban North Police Station, Sergeant Nonhlanhla Shozi, said cases have been reported across the policing precinct, including in La Lucia and uMhlanga. In the case of thefts-of and thefts-out-of motor vehicles, Shozi encouraged motorists to ensure their vehicles were locked when parking them in public. Shozi said in the lead-up to the festive season, there could be a spike in certain crimes. “Thefts-out-of motor vehicles is something we’ve recorded a spike in the last few weeks. We believe suspects are using remote jamming as a way to gain access to vehicles.
Remote jammers get within proximity to your vehicle and use a signal frequency to prevent your remote from functioning. We urge residents who park in public to ensure their alarm is activated and that all four doors are locked before walking away from their vehicle.”
Theft of valuables is a crime that will become more rampant if said valuables are kept in a place where they can be taken easily. Remote jammers are a particularly new breed of thieves. In the age of the digital they can easily disrupt your electronic security arrangements for your vehicles. This means they can disarm the alarms and locks of your cars and other vehicles remotely. This is a shocking new approach to theft. This is why car owners should latch their car doors by hand and keep whatever valuable items they have in the car in their car booth. There will certainly be a rise in car thefts this holiday season given how many people will be out to enjoy their holiday break at the end of the year.
With innovations in technology anything is possible. Whoever cracked the signal-jamming device codes and shared its methods, must be found, interrogated and brought to book. As regards to the loss of income by the informal traffic wardens the municipality needs to recognize their potential and assist them in finding better outlets for revenue.
Article written by:
Yacoob Cassim
Journalist at Radio Al Ansaar
