Way forward found for migrants

Home

News and media releases: 2009

11 June 2009

Migrants are being moved from the Central Methodist Church

THE first group of about 134 people have been moved from the Central Methodist Church in Pritchard Street to Rosettenville, in the south, as part of the City's continued efforts to resolve the migrant issue in the inner city area.

This is according to Phil Harrison, the executive director of development planning and urban management in the City, who is on the intergovernmental task team to solve the concern of migrants seeking shelter at the church.

The team consists of representatives from local and provincial government, various non-governmental organisations and the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR).

A further 350 migrants will be moved to the old Moth building off Remembrance Square in Loveday Street, early in July. The City-owned building is being refurbished by the Johannesburg Development Agency (JDA) as part of the first phase of moves. It can accommodate up to 750 people but funding for further refurbishment will first have to be obtained.

"The focus is to get the most vulnerable people off the street, rather than moving those that are already accommodated in the church," confirmed Harrison.

According to Nico Gudhluza, a JDA project manager, the first three floors of the building will get a "minor refurbishment", mainly in the form of new electrical wiring, plumbing and painting.

Global support

The building will provide transitional housing for a few months to vulnerable people in dormitory style accommodation. Migrants will have a bed and locker and access to a communal kitchen and dining room. The shelter will be used for men and women.

"We basically want to help people to get on their feet," Harrison added.

The idea is eventually to have a network of reception centres around the City where people can find support and accommodation. The City and the Gauteng department of social development are working together to set up a structure to manage the integrated shelter.

Russell McGregor, from the community development workers programme for the Gauteng department of local government, said the UNHCR had also stated its willingness to contribute funding and support to a governmental programme that provided integrated temporary shelter for nationals and non-nationals.

The precinct

The Methodist church has been in the news recently as thousands of displaced people - the majority of them Zimbabweans - have been streaming to the area in search of food and shelter following the closing of refugee camps nationally.

One of the first tasks of the team was to register and profile the migrants living at the church; a total of 2 563 people were registered and were given tokens.

From an inner city urban management perspective, the influx of migrants has become a huge challenge for the City, leading to concerns of additional crime and grime.

Harrison confirmed that management of the precinct was under control and that the number of people coming to the church had remained stable.

Region F was paying a lot of attention to the urban management of the precinct and there was good communication between law enforcement and the church, he said.

"We want to ensure that as people are moved away, we protect the space to avoid further influx."

HALALA JOBURG
The Halala Joburg Awards celebrate projects that have made a difference in the Inner City. read more

TENDERS
JDA manages large scale construction projects on behalf of the City of Johannesburg. Click here for the latest tenders.

PHOTO GALLERY
Get a visual overview of JDA projects and developments. click here

KEY DOCUMENTS
	From annual reports to research projects, find all the key documents here.

MEDIA ROOM
	An archive of news on the JDA and its projects. click here

FRAUD HOTLINE
The JDA has set up a new fraud hotline: 0800 555 836. click here

ABOUT THE JDA

The Johannesburg Development Agency, set up as a limited liability company, is an agency of the City of Johannesburg that stimulates and supports area-based economic development initiatives throughout the metropolitan area.

MORE ABOUT JDA