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Johannesburg to move Zimbabwean migrants into shelters

Sleeping rough outside the Central Methodist Church Taurai Maduna/IRIN
    JOHANNESBURG

    Zimbabwean migrants living in and around the Central Methodist Church in downtown Johannesburg, South Africa, are to be moved into shelters next week, according to Daniel Ramarumo, a local government spokesperson.



    The most vulnerable of the hundreds of migrants will be given priority and provided with accommodation for an initial three months. Skills training will also be offered, Ramarumo told IRIN.



    "These [shelters] are not government buildings and it takes time to enter into contracts. We also have to factor in security, food, whether there are enough beds available," he added.



    More than 100 infants are helped by the church, which relies on donations to provide baby formula and nappies (diapers).



    According to Bishop Paul Verryn of the Methodist Church, local government has yet to update him on the progress of relocation, which was triggered when local merchants, unhappy with the unhygienic conditions created by the migrants sleeping rough, instituted legal action.



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    This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions

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