HIGHLIGHTS
- The Constitutional Court postponed its decision on whether or not to close the Centres of Safe Shelter (CoSS) until 20 November 2008
- Despite this, the Gauteng government proceeded with the closure of the Centres of Safe Shelter (CoSS) on 30 September 2008.
- About half of the IDPs have now received an exit cash grant from either UNICEF or UNHCR in Gauteng Province and a food parcel from the South African Red Cross Society (SARCS).
- Despite these efforts, reintegration challenges remain in all provinces.
- A number of organisations, including Amnesty International, have expressed concern about protection issues especially for Somali nationals in the light of a number of recent deaths.
SITUATION - NATIONAL
Gauteng Province
On 30 September 2008, the Gauteng Provincial government closed the remaining CoSSs. Other ad-hoc sites not under government management including, Akasia, Malas and Stanza remain occupied. Last week, the government distributed an information pamphlet informing IDPs that the sites would close on 30 September 2008. In reaction to the closure of the sites, the Consortium for Refugees and Migrants in South Africa (CoRMSA), the plaintiff in the court case against the Government, issued a press statement indicating that the decision to close the sites was in breach of the Constitutional Court order, which postponed the hearing on the matter until 20 November 2008.
Table 1 - Location, number of sites and displaced population as of 3 October 2008
|
Province
|
Municipality
|
Sites
|
Population displaced
| |
|
May
|
Oct
|
May
|
Oct
| |
| Gauteng | None |
48
|
17,548
|
0*
|
| Western Cape | City of Cape Town |
3
|
19,654
|
2,146
|
| Kwa-Zulu Natal | Ethekwini (Durban) |
2
|
1,650
|
40**
|
| TOTAL |
140
|
3
|
38,762
|
2,186
|
Source: DMC from WC
* This excludes other ad hoc sites
which did not fell under government management such as Akasia
** Figures received from UNHCR, IDPs
are in Albert Park