Durban clears 700 homeless from Moore Road bridge

ByEnigma 808

A forced clearance of roughly 700 people from under a Durban bridge just scattered the homeless problem to other parts of the city.

Durban’s Moore Road bridge sweep

  • Authorities dismantled an encampment on Che Guevara Road in late February 2026.
  • Metro Police and municipal crews yanked makeshift shacks blocking traffic.
  • Mayor Cyril Xaba had checked out the site before greenlighting the operation.
  • One road lane had been totally choked off by plastic shelters.

Why the camp ballooned in the first place

  • Drug use, especially cheap heroin mixes, pulled in vulnerable residents.
  • Job losses after COVID gutted housing stability across eThekwini.
  • Folks booted from Albert Park and Khuzimpi Shezi Road have just relocated there.
  • Over 5,000 people reportedly live rough in eThekwini alone.

Pushback hit fast after the eviction

  • Displaced groups protested near Albert Park, blocking pathways.
  • Some tried reclaiming Moore Road, but cops shut that down quickly.
  • Others migrated to the North Beach dunes near the Suncoast Casino.
  • Metro Police demolished fresh shacks at that spot as well.

Long-term fixes still look pretty thin

  • The Sakhithemba Homeless Shelter in Illovo targets a November 2026 opening.
  • It would house up to 1,200 people with beds and rehab services.
  • The Denis Hurley Centre has slammed repeated clearances as wasteful.
  • Umbilo business groups want more patrols and proper addiction programs.

Author

  • Enigma XO avatar (80x80)

    Besides writing and being a content creator, Enigma 808 sometimes likes to watch paint dry on walls, listening to ASMR while timing snails racing. Such is life.