World Cup Host South Africa Cracks Down on Homeless
Hey Vancouver, remember the Olympics? The FIFA World Cup is currently underway in South Africa and it is the planet's biggest sporting event.
From TheTyee.ca:
World Cup's First Losers: South Africa's Homeless
People feared it would happen in the run up to the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Games, but it's happening today in cities across South Africa. With the 2010 FIFA World Cup looming, reports have surfaced that homeless people are being rounded up and forcibly removed before the eyes of the world turn to look upon South Africa.
Though the international media has picked up on the story with some vigour, from what I've observed working in Johannesburg's inner city these street sweeps seem to be nothing out of the ordinary.
Last August, as part of a campaign to tackle homelessness, the city's human development department took to the streets on a mission to stop people from giving money, food, clothes or blankets to the 3,000 or so homeless people living in Johannesburg's inner city.
"Their presence violates the city bylaws and we arrest them," Edna Mamonyane, spokeswoman for the Johannesburg Metro Police, said at the time. "This is a normal police exercise, but we have intensified our efforts because of the World Cup.
Read the rest of the article here.
