Glenwood UIP plans for security camera after refugees temporary shelter scare at Bulwer Park - IOL
The Glenwood Urban Improvement Precinct (UIP) clean-up team removes the belongings discarded by a group of displaced foreign nationals at Bulwer Park in Durban on Wednesday.
The Glenwood Urban Improvement Precinct (UIP) security services intend to install a top-end rotating camera in Bulwer Park to monitor crime and possible land invasions.
The camera will be installed, subject to an internet connection, following Tuesday’s incident when a group of displaced foreign nationals sought refuge at Bulwer Park. The group, including women and children, had been camping outside the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) Durban Refugee reception centre situated on Che Guevara Road.
The DHA transported 278 people by bus from the pavements outside the centre to Lindela Repatriation Centre in Gauteng on Tuesday. It was reported that a group that chose to remain behind in Durban feared they would be arrested by police and/or attacked by anti-immigration movements if they continued to sleep on the pavements.
Cathryn Aylett, from the group Durban Cares, said people and law enforcement did not understand why the displaced foreign nationals who did not leave on the buses to Gauteng were at Bulwer Park. Her team managed to move 139 men, 24 children and 56 women from Bulwer Park to various shelters, and some went into their families' care.
“Bulwer Park was used as a meeting place because it was close in proximity and a public space. The city needed them off Che Guevara Road to clean the road. We were there to temporarily plan logistics, attend to registers, and plan what happens next. The community misunderstood, thinking they were moving into the park,” she said.
Aylett said the displaced foreign nationals were caught in the sudden torrential rainfall and used tarpaulin to cover themselves and their belongings.
“The land invasion unit demanded that we take out the tarps while it was raining, under threat of arrest because they said that we were creating structures. We will come up with a strategy to integrate them back into the communities. We will need a safe meeting place soon to have meetings and put plans in place to assist them. We are still in communication with them. They are managing themselves well. We hope we can help them get back to their normal lives,” she said.
Nothile Mkhize, the Glenwood Urban Improvement Precinct manager (UIP), explained that Bulwer Park is within the UIP with important facilities such as the Umbilo library, public outdoor gym, the KwaZulu-Natal Society of Arts (KZNSA), the KZN Institute of Architects, as well as the eThekwini ward councillor's office.
Mkhize said the UIP has dedicated stewards 24/7 between Thursday and Sunday to prevent drinking and other anti-social behaviour. The UIP is planning to extend this to seven days a week for the December holidays so the park, she said, can be enjoyed as it was meant to be.
“In conjunction with ward councillor Fran Kristopher, arrangements were made to remove blankets, tents, as well as general waste left behind. The park is now clean,” Mkhize said.
Kristopher said the children's play area in the park was fenced off, but the rest of the park remained open. She said the rest of the park will not be fenced because Glenwood UIP security teams patrol 24/7. Reports that a phone was stolen from one of the displaced foreign nationals - who were from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Burundi, Uganda, Mozambique and Tanzania - were incorrect, she said.
Kevin Naidoo, General Manager of Stella Sports Club restaurant, said it became a security concern when a group of people began walking into the premises to use the ablution facilities. He said there was a miscommunication that they could use the facility and he had to close the gate to protect his patrons.
“We lost several customers because the road was partially closed and nobody was prepared to come through for those few hours. I am glad they resolved the situation and found shelter for them,” he said.
KwaZulu-Natal Premier Thamsanqa Ntuli had visited the Home Affairs Refugee Reception Centre on Friday. Citing being threatened by South Africans, the foreign nationals told Ntuli they sought a safe haven from being intimidated.
Ntuli said the reintegration of those who are willing would go a long way in forging social cohesion and improving relations between locals and immigrants. However, after the group had left Bulwer Park, their locations were not disclosed publicly for fear they might be attacked by anti-immigrant groups.
