As Muslims, we grow up with the understanding and ethos of giving towards the needy around us, for this is one of the greatest deeds in life. Despite many organisations and shelters in existence to care for displaced kids, we still find many homeless teens living on the streets battling to survive. In Cape Town, more than 2,000 children under the ages of 18 roam around the streets for survival, with many being physically and verbally abused by people around them, amongst them security workers, business people and members of the public.
This is a huge social problem affecting the self esteem of homeless youth, who react to it in a negative way. During a VOC News investigation on the streets of the city, the sentiment ironically was that homeless teens have become more aggressive towards the public. Natalie Solomons, 23, said that police officials need to do something about aggressive teens living in the Cape Town area urgently.
“I didn’t know what to say. In fact I didn’t even want to say anything due her facial expression. She looked as if she was ready to attack me...” Solomons fears walking alone from the bus station and has to wait for a colleague to walk with her to work. "I don’t mind giving these homeless kids something to eat, as I always do. There are many grateful and respectful ones amongst them, but the other kids are just plain disrespectful and extremely aggressive towards the public," she said.
Ridwaan Safadien, 42, from Millerton said that he had been offended on two different occasions by teens living within the bus terminus area. “I gave a young man a loaf of bread which I especially went to go and buy at a supermarket. The next day, he asked me outside my workplace for something to eat. With good intentions within my heart, I used my last few cents to fullfil my promise to him,” said Safadien.
“When I gave it to him, he took it. After a while he looked at it asking me what he must do with a ‘dry’ loaf of bread. I looked at him in amazement replying that he shouldn’t question people in that way." Safadien was furious and shocked at the manner in which the teenager accepted the bread. "He asked if I would eat dry bread on such a warm day. He walked away moaning under his hat with ungratefulness.” Safadien said that he has lost his respect for many homeless people due to some of them being disrespectful and rude.
When her mother was not able to look after her anymore, Sarah was taken in at a home. "They looked after me and fed me every day, but I wanted to be with my mother,” said Sarah. “How can they remove a child from a mother after building up a strong relationship?” she questioned. “That’s just not fair. We might be poor, but we are still human. I love my mother and we will get through this together..."
The young teen said being homeless is not one of the easiest things to live with. “It is hard for us and for many living on the streets around us. There are always people who approach me and my mommy at times to give us something to eat and we are grateful for it,” she said. “However, there are lots of rude and dangerous youngsters living here too. They are also homeless people, but they are different. They take from those who have little and threaten us if we don’t want to give our things over to them.”
Sarah remembers seeing homeless kids beating each other up because of food or drugs. Most get easily aggressive and mad when they can’t get their way. "I fear these guys. I’ve seem them looking for trouble with people getting out of busses to go to work. They will nag until they get something out of you. Many times, the police have taken them away with the police van, but after a while you’ll find them roaming the streets again," she said.
"Sometimes I feel sorry for some of the people who have to face them in public. But some people are very loud and they chase them away immediately." Sarah said she wished that homeless people would appreciate and respect others. “I think if you act this way and then people will start coming to you to offer their help. There are a lot of nice ladies who work in the area who always talk you me and my mother. If they have food they will give us something to eat and if they don’t, then we respect it.”
Samuel Ndube, 36, said in order to avoid street roamers who are involved in gangs, the safest place for him to sleep at night is near the Company Gardens. “I’ve been sleeping on the streets for the past five years. Some places are really hectic to sleep on but there are a few spots that are safe for me. I’ve seen teens stabbing each other on the streets at night and innocent women getting robbed as they come from work. It is getting out of control. I wish that life could be different and that everyone would just live in peace. Being homeless is not easy but having a strong faithful heart and mind is what keeps me going,” he added.
Substance abuse seems to be the main factor driving this aggression, as homeless teens get caught in a vicious cycle. Last week two young males were found in dead in the street, somewhere near the Castle, an incident said to be drug related. "It is like they don’t take in food but these drugs are what feeds them inside...it’s terrible.”
Ndube believes aggressive teens are becoming out of control and it is putting other homeless people’s lives in danger. However, these wanderers have already moved into suburban communities across Cape Town and are now targeting people more easily, begging for food on peoples door steps. VOC (Aishah Cassiem)
This is a huge social problem affecting the self esteem of homeless youth, who react to it in a negative way. During a VOC News investigation on the streets of the city, the sentiment ironically was that homeless teens have become more aggressive towards the public. Natalie Solomons, 23, said that police officials need to do something about aggressive teens living in the Cape Town area urgently.
Fear of attack
"I don’t think it is right to wake up every morning for work, fearing these kids at the station, who tend to argue or beat you up because you are not able to give them something,” said Solomons. She claims she experienced it about three times this year. A female approached her asking for a R1 or something to eat, and when Solomons told her she did not have money, she started a verbal rant. “She accused me of lying to her and said that I’m a ‘selfish asshole’. I was extremely shocked by this,” Solomons recalled.“I didn’t know what to say. In fact I didn’t even want to say anything due her facial expression. She looked as if she was ready to attack me...” Solomons fears walking alone from the bus station and has to wait for a colleague to walk with her to work. "I don’t mind giving these homeless kids something to eat, as I always do. There are many grateful and respectful ones amongst them, but the other kids are just plain disrespectful and extremely aggressive towards the public," she said.
Ridwaan Safadien, 42, from Millerton said that he had been offended on two different occasions by teens living within the bus terminus area. “I gave a young man a loaf of bread which I especially went to go and buy at a supermarket. The next day, he asked me outside my workplace for something to eat. With good intentions within my heart, I used my last few cents to fullfil my promise to him,” said Safadien.
“When I gave it to him, he took it. After a while he looked at it asking me what he must do with a ‘dry’ loaf of bread. I looked at him in amazement replying that he shouldn’t question people in that way." Safadien was furious and shocked at the manner in which the teenager accepted the bread. "He asked if I would eat dry bread on such a warm day. He walked away moaning under his hat with ungratefulness.” Safadien said that he has lost his respect for many homeless people due to some of them being disrespectful and rude.
Desperation
VOC News also spoke to a few teens living on the streets of the CBD area in Cape Town, many who said that living a hard lifestyle is nothing compared to what others think. Sarah, a 17 year old girl, said she ran away from a shelter four years ago to be with her mother. The pair used to live in a small shack on a farm in Sckaapkraal, but were forced to leave the premises due to the owners moving.When her mother was not able to look after her anymore, Sarah was taken in at a home. "They looked after me and fed me every day, but I wanted to be with my mother,” said Sarah. “How can they remove a child from a mother after building up a strong relationship?” she questioned. “That’s just not fair. We might be poor, but we are still human. I love my mother and we will get through this together..."
The young teen said being homeless is not one of the easiest things to live with. “It is hard for us and for many living on the streets around us. There are always people who approach me and my mommy at times to give us something to eat and we are grateful for it,” she said. “However, there are lots of rude and dangerous youngsters living here too. They are also homeless people, but they are different. They take from those who have little and threaten us if we don’t want to give our things over to them.”
Sarah remembers seeing homeless kids beating each other up because of food or drugs. Most get easily aggressive and mad when they can’t get their way. "I fear these guys. I’ve seem them looking for trouble with people getting out of busses to go to work. They will nag until they get something out of you. Many times, the police have taken them away with the police van, but after a while you’ll find them roaming the streets again," she said.
"Sometimes I feel sorry for some of the people who have to face them in public. But some people are very loud and they chase them away immediately." Sarah said she wished that homeless people would appreciate and respect others. “I think if you act this way and then people will start coming to you to offer their help. There are a lot of nice ladies who work in the area who always talk you me and my mother. If they have food they will give us something to eat and if they don’t, then we respect it.”
Samuel Ndube, 36, said in order to avoid street roamers who are involved in gangs, the safest place for him to sleep at night is near the Company Gardens. “I’ve been sleeping on the streets for the past five years. Some places are really hectic to sleep on but there are a few spots that are safe for me. I’ve seen teens stabbing each other on the streets at night and innocent women getting robbed as they come from work. It is getting out of control. I wish that life could be different and that everyone would just live in peace. Being homeless is not easy but having a strong faithful heart and mind is what keeps me going,” he added.
Substance abuse seems to be the main factor driving this aggression, as homeless teens get caught in a vicious cycle. Last week two young males were found in dead in the street, somewhere near the Castle, an incident said to be drug related. "It is like they don’t take in food but these drugs are what feeds them inside...it’s terrible.”
Ndube believes aggressive teens are becoming out of control and it is putting other homeless people’s lives in danger. However, these wanderers have already moved into suburban communities across Cape Town and are now targeting people more easily, begging for food on peoples door steps. VOC (Aishah Cassiem)
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