Why you need to stop giving money to beggars in South Africa
The South African Police Service (SAPS) has called on motorists to stop giving money to beggars at intersections.
The Bedfordview & Edenvale News reported this week that the local SAPS believes that criminals posing as beggars are behind a recent spate of violent crimes in the area, including rape.
Bedfordview SAPS spokesperson, warrant officer Mduduzi Nhlabathi, told the community paper: “It is important for our residents to note that these beggars will not leave our area as long as they are still getting money from members of the community.
“One of the main solutions to getting rid of beggars is to stop giving them a reason to come back. Stop giving money to beggars,” said Nhlabathi.
It isn’t the first time that the SAPS has called on residents to stop supporting beggars.
“When you give money to a beggar on the street, you are not just feeding their addiction. You are also giving them a reason to stay in the area. You are creating a market for them,” said Cherri-Lyn Croucamp of the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Police Department (EMPD) in 2015.
Nhlabathi went a step further, saying that residents who continue to support beggars can be regarded as accomplices to the crimes they commit.
“We can’t, as law enforcement officers, keep quiet when we are working on ridding the area of beggars and some members of our community keep giving them a reason to be back. We rely on our residents to do the right thing,” he said.
A report published in January by Solidarity Helping Hand stated that “most beggars on the street are drug addicts”, putting that figure at as many as 80% to 90%.
I am of the same opinion. The biggest culprits are the Muslims. Especially their womenfolk. They will always give something to the beggar, because of some guilty feeling. And yet they are the ones that very often are the victims of crime. If you have surplus cash for donating, please give it to a welfare organisation.
Yes, v must follow what SAPS said ,
Unfortunately in our area Durban Jan Smuts they will disable traffic lights in order to direct traffic for money. Lot of people give money in order to get to work quicker to avoid traffic lights being used as four way stop.
My name is Gail and I live in Durban. I so agree that we should not be funding the beggars drug addiction. A very sad thing is that i speak to the regulars when waiting my turn at the robot and many of these guys are well educated. Addiction must be one of the worst diseases to have. My parting words to them each time is asking them to book into a government rehab. There are many of them in this country
I live in Durban and certainly agree that we must not fund the beggars drug addiction. I chat to some of the regulars while waiting my turn at the robot. Many of them are well educated. I encourage them to go to one of the many gov’t rehabs. There are plenty of them in our country.Addiction of any kind must be the worst disease to be inflicted with. I am sure every family has an addict ,mine included
I agree!I witnessed in Auckland ,Johannesburg a smash and grab style thieving by a beggar who was a resident beggar at that specific robot!His aggression totally looked drug related!We are only placing other motorists in harms way
Lets not encourage begging at street corners & robots. Donate to reliable charity organisation & let them do the distribution or go out & find a poor family & make a difference.
hi my name is mark I want to make a comment abt the parking gards at various big shopping centres that ask for money from helping u park I don’t c why the shopping centre management cant help them with some money it becomes a bit mutch if u go to various shops and they are there
That’s another ripoff. Half the time they only appear when you ready to leave.
Beggars Franchise? Syndicates control intersections in all major cities in this country? Vagrancy municipal bylaws compells the police to remove them from these intersections in the name of safety for both the vagrant and motorist . The Police dont! Why?? Priorities are questionable.