Caledon Square Group of Refugees have no shelter from today
As of today, TAC and the Cape Town Jewish Community are unable to continue raising money to pay for the accommodation of the group known as the Caledon Square refugees (because they originally spent 3 days sleeping outside Caledon Square Police Station). This is after all the responsibility of the state not civil society or private individuals. The city has refused to open civic or community centres to shelter them, even though there are many that would be suitable in the Central Business District and its surrounding suburbs. At least one school has offered to host the appointments of the Sea Point Civic Centre. But Mayor Zille refuses to budge. Instead she says that the province must make open one of its venues for the group. We have examined some of these so-called provincial venues based on a list provided to us by the city: they are inappropriate.
The Caledon Square group has these reasonable demands:
- Most critically, they want the UNHCR to assist them with repatriation and resettlement. But the South African government has refused to ask the UNHCR to assist with this.
- Until (1) happens, they want safe shelter in the Central Business District or surrounding area.
- They want to be reimbursed (compensated) for their lost homes and businesses.
