Trench foot, amputations a challenge for Durban homeless

eThekwini is experiencing a health problem afflicting homeless people – trench foot.

This latest challenge has become the norm with young and old alike and the people afflicted are often seen hobbling across the streets, parks, and beachfronts bent over and limping, barely managing to keep themselves upright.

Much like in London, where reports have revealed that almost 3,000 unhoused people were being treated for skin conditions by the London Inter-community Health Organisation, which operates a mobile care unit in a converted bus, Durban has become a place of pain for the homeless as many suffer from trench foot, a skin condition that thrives when feet are left wet over a period of time.

Untreated, it can lead to painful sores, serious infections, and, in extreme cases, even amputations.

Many believe that the majority of Durban’s homeless are young people. Many have become homeless due to unemployment, crime, poverty, family conflict, or substance abuse.

The city’s spokesperson, Gugu Sisilana, acknowledged the levels of homelessness and health-related issues and said that there were various initiatives and programmes driven by the Municipality to help homeless people rebuild or transform their lives.

“The City has multiple programmes for the homeless, these include employment opportunities, skills development, ID applications, reunification services, and drug rehabilitation programmes, to mention a few. The shelters cater to all individuals, regardless of physical disability, and the Social Development Department provides grants for people with disabilities,” she said.

Sisilana stressed that the City did not have a direct mandate to deal with homelessness and there was still no National Policy to guide the City’s interventions to address homelessness.

“However, since cities/municipalities are at the coalface of these social ills and challenges, the City established a Special Purpose Vehicle that is assisting in securing support for the implementation of the interventions mentioned above.

“Lastly and most importantly, the onus is on the homeless individual after receiving all the support that the Municipality offers (as highlighted above) to want to live an independent life off the streets and ultimately be reunited with his or her family,” she said.

MEC of Health in KwaZulu-Natal Nomagugu Simelane did not respond to questions from the publication on whether her department had a plan to tackle health issues among the homeless.

According to the eThekwini Municipality, there are currently approximately 16,000 homeless people living in and around the city.

The collection of data was conducted by Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) volunteers in cooperation with the Denis Hurley Centre.

This led to then eThekwini Mayor Mxolisi Kaunda saying in May that the 2024/2025 City Budget was “pro-poor” and committed to increasing the number of soup kitchens in the city, allocating R137 million towards the cause.

“Our nutrition programme plays a vital role in providing much-needed food to poor households,” said Kaunda.

A 2022 report by the City of Durban highlighted some key points about homelessness in Durban.

Causes: poverty, unemployment, lack of affordable housing, substance abuse, and mental illness contribute to homelessness.

Demographics: homeless individuals in Durban are mostly male, between 25 and 44 years old, and many have some education.

Services: organisations like the Durban City Council, NGOs, and community groups offer assistance, including shelters, food, and rehabilitation programmes.

Initiatives: the City of Durban has implemented programmes like the Homelessness Policy and the Integrated Social Development Plan to address homelessness.

Reports on tourism have revealed that homelessness can have both direct and indirect impacts on tourism in the city, one of which being safety concerns as tourists may feel uneasy or threatened by aggressive begging or petty crimes committed by some individuals experiencing homelessness.

Additionally, visible homelessness can detract from the aesthetic appeal of popular tourist areas, such as beaches, promenades, or city centres which will in turn give an impression that the city is not well-maintained or that authorities are not addressing social issues.

In March this year, the Human Sciences Research Council wrote that last year, it was estimated that about 18.2 million South Africans lived in extreme poverty.

Stats SA recorded a total of 55,719 homeless people in the country in February 2022.

thabo.makwakwa@inl.co.za