Homeless accuse cops of taking cash
DAILY NEW
Nick van Veen with his 3-year-old son, Darren, and
Edmund Ellis and Jan Diedericks, say police took their bedding as they slept on
it on Monday. They stand in Masonic Road, where the incident took place. Photo:
SiboneloNgcobo
Durban - Several homeless men and women have been left with nothing but
the clothes on their backs after the confiscation and disposal of their
belongings - including cash.
Edmund Ellis, who sleeps in Masonic Road, with six others, including
friends Jan Diedericks and Nick van Veen, said they had not experienced
anything similar before.
They started sleeping in the area near the Addington Anglican Christ
Church almost two months ago.
“We’ve never had any trouble with anyone, including the other people who
sleep here. We keep to ourselves,” he said.
Ellis said a metro police vehicle and a municipal garbage compactor had
stopped in the small avenue on Monday and their possessions were taken.
“They didn’t even ask. They just pulled the bedding out from under us.”
He said they normally kept their belongings and valuables in their bags
and backpacks but transferred the small amounts of money and cellphones into
their pillow cases to prevent theft during the night.
“Nick had R300, Jan had R500 and I had R450. We were doing odd jobs and
begging to scrape that together so we could try to rent a place.
“Now hope of that is all gone,” he said.
Van Veen, who has a 3-year-old son, said he could not understand why
they had been targeted.
“We don’t want any trouble,” he said.
The group had also hidden their blood pressure and epilepsy medication,
obtained from King Dinuzulu Hospital, in their bedding.
“It’s all gone now and we need it. These are serious medical
conditions,” he said.
Diedericks said the men in the vehicles had not been wearing uniforms.
“We were not charged with anything and were told we could not open a
case. That makes no sense.”
Metro police spokesman, Senior Superintendent Eugene Msomi, told the
Daily News he would have to question the officers on duty that night to find out
what happened.
“What normally happens during these sweeps along the beachfront is that
we enlist the help of other departments like Durban Solid Waste to help get rid
of things that are blocking the roadway.”
He explained that the pavement was part of the roadway and sleeping on
it was a violation of by-laws.
When asked about the money and belongings taken and disposed of, Msomi
said he doubted “very much” that the group had any valuables.
Daily News
