Zorena Jantze
THE limping figure of a street child, who has been seen to have a large wound on his leg, has turned the heads of many residents and passerby cars near the robots of Hidas Centre in Klein Windhoek.
The boy, who stood at the corner of the street on Tuesday around 17:00, introduced himself simply as Leandro.
Queried if he could be taken to the hospital for assistance, Leandro complained that he fears he would be taken to the Katutura Hospital and he would not wish to walk back to Klein Windhoek as it is too far.
Assistance rendered to the teen to offer aid has in the past turned violent, after it was reported that he threatened ambulance personnel as well as good Samaritans with a knife.
This is despite warnings from medical professionals who paid him a visit that the wound has gone septic with gangrene setting in.
According to statistics provided by the Ministry of Urban and Rural Development (MURD) in their report on the Taskforce for Persons Without Shelter during and after Covid-19, a total of 900 people were identified to be without shelter in Windhoek.
These statistics are widely reflected within the cityscape, with those without shelter at times dying due to the cold winter conditions.
The report elaborated that in light of the worldwide outbreak of Covid-19, President Hage Geingob gave a directive to give shelter to persons without shelter to accommodate them during the lockdown period.
From the 900 persons without shelter, a total of 431 are currently accommodated at the Khomasdal Stadium and the Katutura Youth Centre (KYC).
The Taskforce for persons without shelter is chaired by the Governor of the Khomas Region as well as the Executive Director of the Ministry of Urban and Rural Development with the task to develop strategic plans to alleviate the struggles of those without shelter.
