health

HEALTH-SOUTH AFRICA: Ablution Facilities for the Homeless “Essential”

Moyiga Nduru

JOHANNESBURG, Feb 16 2006 (IPS) – Johannesburg is the financial heart of South Africa, and for those who gain a share of the city s wealth, affluent homes await.
Far less fortunate is Johannesburg s homeless population, variously put at between 500,000 to 800,000 people. In all, there are some 3.2 million people in the city, according to official figures.

The number (of homeless persons) is very dodgy; there are no official statistics. The homeless move about a lot, so it s difficult to keep record, Ndai Mncedisi, director of the Johannesburg-based Paballo ya Batho, a homeless outreach programme administered by the Methodist Church, told IPS. (Paballo ya Batho is a Sotho name which translates as Caring for the People .)

Those without homes still require ablution facilities, however.

They are essential for the homeless, in light of conditions they have found themselves in, Jean du Plessis of the Centre on Housing Rights and Evictions said from the organisation s office in the south-eastern city of Pietermaritzburg. The centre is a non-governmental group headquartered in Geneva.

IPS was not able to get comment on homeless ablution facilities from the Johannesburg City Council. But Paballo ya Batho, for one, offers toilets and showers for the destitute.
We have two showers: one for women and the other for men. We also offer three toilet units which are used by the homeless for free, said Mncedisi.

In addition, Paballo ya Batho provides other forms of assistance to a few hundred homeless persons on a weekly basis. Our number is 400 people, young and old, who we feed every Wednesday. We offer them soup, bread and medicine, Mncedisi noted.

The need for such assistance is likely to grow as the city council implements its policy of demolishing more than 200 buildings that have been declared unfit for residence.

Some tenants have lived in these buildings for ten years, observed Mncedisi.

According to a 2005 investigation by the Centre on Housing Rights and Evictions and the South African Centre for Applied Legal Studies, at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, the evictions could affect upwards of 25,000 people.

Last year, 300 people were evicted from dilapidated buildings. The city council said it would only provide alternative accommodation for the children and aged in this group this on a temporary basis.

Despite these hardships, Johannesburg continues to attract newcomers.

There are many reasons why people come to Johannesburg and end up on the streets. Some do not have skills to land a good job. Some were farm and mine workers who have been laid off, said Mncedisi.

Most of (the homeless) are not from Johannesburg. Some come from the Eastern Cape (province) and others from Kwa-Zulu Natal province. After getting their matric, they come to Johannesburg thinking they will get a job, he added, in reference to the final examinations that South African children sit before leaving school.

Still others are refugees from conflict-ridden African states such as the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Burundi, Somalia, Sudan and Cote d Ivoire.

Some recycle rubbish and earn 400 rand (about 65 dollars) a month. This is not enough in a city where a one-bed room in a low-income area costs between 800 and 1,200 rand (130 and 195 dollars) a month, Mncedisi noted.

Scarcely better off than the homeless are those living in Johannesburg s informal settlements, and shacks set up in the backyards of properties.

On its website, the city council estimates that there are 215,000 households living under these conditions in the metropolis. Soweto, the largest black settlement established under apartheid in the Johannesburg area, has 39 informal settlements with about 56,000 families.

By the end of June 2005, the city had expected to service 35,000 stands in 29 informal settlements with full water and sanitation facilities. But it only managed to service 20,000 stands.

The water and sanitation programme will form the basis for the people s housing process, where people are required to build their own houses, notes the council website.

 

Related Posts

Game Of Thrones Complete Series Blu-Ray Is Only $58 For Amazon Prime Day

Game of Thrones fans can pick up the complete series on Blu-ray for only $58 at Amazon during Prime Day 2024. You can also save on multiple editions of House of the Dragon Season 1, including the 4K Blu-ray steelbook edition, as well as A Song of Ice and Fire novel box sets.


Game of Thrones & House of the Dragon Blu-ray Deals

  • Game of Thrones: Complete Series (Blu-ray) — $58 ($108)
  • Game of Thrones: The Complete First Season Steelbook (Blu-ray) — $18 ($28)
  • Game of Thrones: The Complete Second Season Steelbook (Blu-ray) — $18 ($40)
  • House of the Dragon: The Complete First Season Steelbook (4K) — $28 ($37)
  • House of the Dragon…

PlayStation Plus Moving Away From Monthly PS4 Games

Sony has announced a key change for the future of PlayStation Plus. Sony will shift away from offering PS4 games as it looks to focus on PS5 games instead. Sony said it’s making this change as part of the evolution of PS Plus overall Come from online casino bangladesh . This isn’t starting soon, though, and will begin in January 2026.

“As we shift to PS5, PS4 games will no longer be a key benefit and will only be occasionally offered for PlayStation Plus Monthly Games and Game Catalog starting January 2026. We may still provide titles that can be playable on both PS4 and PS5 consoles after this date,” Sony said.

PS4 games that players have already redeemed from PS Plus are not affected, provided players stay subscribed to Pl…

Saquon Barkley's No-Look Hurdle Has Been Added To Madden NFL 25

In the NFL, when players pull off something special on the field, fans occasionally refer to it as a “video-game move.” But Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley took that to another level earlier this season when he evaded a defender by jumping over him while looking the other way. EA couldn’t resist adding that no-look hurdle to the latest update for Madden NFL 25, but Barkley is the only player who can use it and it’s not easy to pull off.

As part of the notes for the new Madden NFL 25 update, EA explained that the development team immediately decided to put Barkley’s “once-in-a-lifetime move” in the game by combing through hours of motion-capture footage. From there, they determined which animations could be modified to recreate Barkley’s leap, with some additional h…

Resistance 4 Was Pitched But Didn't Work Out, Says Former Insomniac Boss

According to former Insomniac Games boss Ted Price, a Resistance 4 game was pitched but ultimately wasn’t made.

In an interview with Kinda Funny Games, Ted Price, said, “We did pitch that one. It was a wonderful concept, and in terms of timing and market opportunity, it didn’t work out.” When asked whether Resistance 3’s poor sales at the time impacted the decision to move on from the series, Price didn’t answer directly.

“Resistance 3 was intended to end that chapter of the Resistance franchise,” he explained. “With the way we ended with [protagonist] Capelli and closed a lot of loops on various smaller story items…we wanted to do that so we could have more options in the future, whether we would go ahead with more Resistance games or taking another turn.”

Star Wars- Legion Is Super Cheap For Prime Day – Plus, More Star Wars Board Game Deals

We’ve seen plenty of great Star Wars video games hit the market over the past few years, but the same is also true for Star Wars board games. Legion is one of the most popular options, pitting two players against each other in strategy battles that can run for up to three hours. It’s also one of the most expensive at $120–but for Prime Day, you can get it for just $89. Come from online casino bangladesh

That’s one of the lowest prices of the year. The base game includes 33 highly detailed miniatures, a comprehensive rulebook, and all the cards and pieces you need to dive into the complex game. The game is an easy recommendation for Star Wars fans now that it’s listed for less than $120, though we’re sure Amazon …

Elden Ring's Miyazaki Named To Time's 100 Most Influential People List For 2023

Time Magazine’s annual list of the world’s top 100 most influential people has arrived, and the list includes one person from the world of video games. From Software’s Hidetaka Miyazaki, the director of Elden Ring, Bloodborne, and Dark Souls, lands on the list in the “Innovator” section. Come from Sports betting site VPbet

Naughty Dog’s Neil Druckmann profiled Miyazaki for Time, writing that Miyazaki’s games originally made him feel “miserable” because Druckmann’s character died over and over again. But Druckmann, and gamers all over the place who stick with Miyazaki’s games, may end up having a breakthrough. That’s what makes Miyazaki such a great designer, Druckmann said.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *