Street Action - Committed to street children through action and partnership

A report last month in South Africa's Sunday Times highlights how Durban's Metro Police are forcibly removing them from the centre of the city and dumping them on the outskirts, busy freeways or at unregistered shelters with no supervision or social workers support.

However, despite first hand accounts of abuse from many of Durban's street children, the Metro police deny these charges and stated that the removals were not World Cup related but acting on complains from the community . Tom Hewitt of Umthombo Street Children argues that, "Street children are not a safety and security issue, but a social development issue. Police put children in the back of trucks with adults and gang members. It exposes the kids to more trauma". He said removing children for the World Cup was not about child protection but about cleaning up the streets. You can read the full article at: http://www.timeslive.co.za/sundaytimes/article305799.ece or watch the video below.

You can also read accounts of Durban's rounding up of street children on Joe Walker's blog: http://www.joewalker.org.uk/