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KNYSNA NEWS - Knysna’s battle with vagrants illegally occupying houses, businesses or any spot they fancy for that matter, still continues.
Recently, on 16 January, Knysna police, municipal law enforcement and SA National Parks (SANParks) organised a cleanup operation of some of the town's more notorious spots – where loads of rubbish was removed from unhygienic conditions.
Problems with vagrants in Knysna are common and ongoing, from people illegally occupying the old magistrate's house in Handel Street and sleeping at the Post Office, to causing disturbances by also frequenting some business spots in town.
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The cleanup operation was due to various complaints received by the CPF and the stakeholders from businesses affected near Waste by Rail and from the Knysna Heights/Paradise Neighbourhood Watch.
The cleanup also comes after a woman in Handel Street posted on Facebook about the vagrants at the old magistrate’s house in Knysna Heights – which has long attracted vagrants and is yet again home to some of them.
CPF chair Cheryl Britz posted a few pictures of the cleanup shortly afterwards on the CPF Facebook page.
“Like in many other towns, the issue of vagrants remains a sensitive one involving many issues, from trespassing to criminal activity, lighting of fires, excessive littering and living in unhygienic conditions.
"The complaints received from our community and the businesses affected are ongoing and need to be addressed," says Britz.
SANParks members move some of the items during the cleanup.
Margaret Mckay, who lives near the old magistrate's house, told Knysna-Plett Herald on 23 January that the vagrants moved back a day after the police moved them out on 15 January.
"I was over there this morning again and there were seven of them sitting around. The place is filthy. As always, it ended up in a screaming match. I am at the end of my tether again," she said.
This venue was cleaned up in July 2016, then in November the same year, and two months later the same problem manifested all over again.
Popular spots are the Waste by Rail, Costa Sarda and Cathy's Park – and these were tackled in the cleanup.
Since a post was put on Facebook about the cleanup, there has been much public participation on social media thanking the stakeholders for their efforts, lamenting the situation, but also making suggestions as to how to find a permanent solution.
An officer approaching a crude home to some of the vagrants. Photos: Supplied
One of these suggestions was to create a shelter for the vagrants, but who would pay for it, is the question, and would the vagrants want to live in it?
Not only that, but resources are needed to man it.
While the police and CPF do their best to clear vagrants away, all it seems to accomplish is that they move somewhere else and even come back to the place they have been chased away from.
The Knysna-Plett Herald will do an investigation next week.
ARTICLE: NWABISA PONDOYI, KNYSNA-PLETT HERALD JOURNALIST
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