Durban refugee saga
May 27th, 2008
Last Sunday, more than 400 refugees crowded the Emmanuel Catholic Cathedral in Durban; with even more running to its sanctuary by the hour. To meet the need, the Cathedral has an established the “Refugee Pastoral Care” programme, but has nevertheless been totally overwhelmed by the numbers pouring in, straining its limited facilities.
With regard to the facilities available, there are only two bathrooms, and with only one person able to occupy the bathroom at a time, the situation has become desperate. In an attempt to aid the situation, four portable toilets were placed outside the complex. The problem with this however, is that with the toilets placed outside the safety of the enclosure, the people are scared to make use of them. In addition to this, the church is situated in an unsafe/unstable part of Durban.
In a further attempt to meet the prevailing need of those huddled in the church, Gift of the Givers, a non-governmental, humanitarian disaster relief organisation based in Pietermaritzburg, has donated food and blankets, with Chief Mangosuthu Buthelezi (Inkatha Freedom Party) doing likewise. After visiting the refugees and speaking to them in concern for their plight three days ago, Nkozi Buthelezi had then distributed the materialistic essentials. An outspoken spokesperson for the plight of the refugees throughout this crisis, Buthelezi has attempted all in his power to restore calm and bring relief.
Unfortunately however, blankets and food are not all the people want. ‘They simply want to go home’. Desperate to vote in the run-off election on the 27th of next month- which will hopefully result in peace for Zimbabwe- Zimbabwean nationals are now looking for transportation back to their homeland.
Says Timothy Rukombo, overseer of these Durban refugees: ‘they just need a lift…’
