EThekwini Deputy Mayor Councillor Zandile Myeni during an oversight visit to the upgraded Sakhithemba Homeless Shelter in Illovu, where the City is expanding capacity to 1 200 beds to strengthen support for homeless.
Image: supplied
eThekwini Municipality has intensified its efforts to tackle homelessness through significant upgrades at the Sakhithemba Homeless Shelter in Illovo, south of Durban.
This initiative, which forms a cornerstone of the city’s comprehensive response to homelessness, highlights the administration’s commitment to ensuring safe and dignified shelter for its most at-risk residents.
During an oversight visit on Wednesday, eThekwini Deputy Mayor and Chairperson of the Public Safety Committee, Councillor Zandile Myeni, toured the Illovu-based facility, and expressed her satisfaction with the quality and progress of the ongoing refurbishment work afterwards.
“The upgraded facility will significantly strengthen the city’s capacity to support individuals experiencing homelessness,” she said about the important Durban homeless-accommodation project.
Initially approved in August 2024 as a 400-bed facility slated for completion by the 2026/27 financial year, the scope of the Sakhithemba project has been broadened in response to the escalating demand for shelter.
The eThekwini Council has since approved an increase in the facility’s capacity to 1,200 beds, in recognition of the thousands currently facing homelessness across the city.
During her visit, Myeni engaged with the project management team, local community leaders, and various stakeholders, and stated the importance for collaborative and concrete strategies as the project approaches completion.
EThekwini Municipality is enhancing its response to homelessness with significant upgrades to the Sakhithemba Homeless Shelter.
Image: Supplied
“We encourage continuous and frequent engagement with the community of Illovu, non-profit organisations, and people experiencing homelessness,” she said.
In addition to enhancing accommodation capacity, the upgraded Sakhithemba shelter will offer essential support pathways out of homelessness, by fostering a structured approach to rehabilitation and social reintegration.
Myeni elaborated on the plans for the facility, and said: “The revised approach enables parallel execution of work, reducing interdependencies between construction packages and better managing challenges posed by the limited site footprint.”
The upcoming phase will include essential external works, walkways, landscaping, and recreational spaces that promote a dignified living environment for its users.
DAILY NEWS