Johannesburg’s Shame

Dear Editor

One of only three shelters in the City of Johannesburg has been shamefully shut down since December 2023. The closure of 3 Kotze Street has meant that for the past nine months, over 300 vulnerable women and men have been left with nowhere to turn – deprived of the essential services that could help them escape the streets, rejoin the economy, and reclaim their dignity.

This dire situation stands in stark contrast to the DA-led City of Cape Town, where more than 20 shelters operate efficiently and provide crucial support to those in need. The City furthermore operates 5 Safe Space shelters.

How can the City of Johannesburg’s administration sleep at night, knowing they have condemned hundreds of people to suffer in the cold?

An occupational health and safety (OHASA) assessment deemed the building unsafe, leading to its abrupt closure. But what kind of city leadership allows such a vital resource to deteriorate to this point? DA Johannesburg councillors Beverley Jacobs and Chantelle Fourie-Shawe visited the centre to uncover the shocking reality of neglect that led to this disaster.

What they found was appalling: no security, unreliable electricity, and severe plumbing issues. Water leaking from the rooftop has wreaked havoc on the top floor, which used to provide a safe haven for women. Now, these women are back on the streets, exposed to unimaginable dangers, while the social development department officials, confined to the bottom floor, struggle to provide even the most basic services.

Since the closure, the situation has only worsened. There have been multiple attempted break-ins, yet no official security has been assigned to protect the building. Desperate and abandoned, social development officials have been forced to take matters into their own hands to secure the premises.

Adding insult to injury, the Gauteng Provincial Department of Infrastructure Development – responsible for handing over the facility to the City – has withdrawn all support services. The City’s own property maintenance and management entity, the Joburg Property Company (JPC), has seemingly washed its hands of the whole mess.

The DA will hold the current administration of the City of Johannesburg accountable in the Section 79 oversight committee and in council. The closure of the city’s largest shelter is a damning indictment of a failed administration that has turned its back on the most vulnerable.

This is not the vision of a world-class African city—it is a disgrace. We will also engage with our DA representatives in the Gauteng Provincial Legislature to ensure this matter is addressed with the urgency it demands.

Regards

Cllr Belinda Kayser-Echeozonjoku
DA Johannesburg Caucus Leader