Upon instruction from the Municipal Manager, the Overstrand Municipality has activated its Incident Command Centre (ICC) at the Hermanus Fire Station.
This follows reports of foreign nationals feeling unsafe to return to their homes amid ongoing intimidation and threats in parts of the Overstrand, resulting in an increased need for support and humanitarian assistance within affected communities.
More than 500 individuals are currently being accommodated at community facilities across the Overstrand.
The Incident Command Centre will serve as the central operational point for co-ordinating interdepartmental resources and engaging with government stakeholders and partner organisations.
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The immigration teams are currently documenting foreign nationals at the Gansbaai Mosque and have completed the registration of approximately 50 people being accommodated at the Gansbaai Tourism Hall. They will thereafter proceed to the Stanford Community Hall, where approximately 110 people are being accommodated, before continuing to the Kleinmond Town Hall, where approximately 60 people are receiving support.
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HOME AFFAIRS CONDUCTS VERIFICATION OF FOREIGN NATIONALS IN OVERSTRAND
Officials from the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) are currently in the Overstrand to document and verify foreign nationals who are being accommodated at various local facilities after leaving their homes on Sunday and Monday night due to safety concerns following recent incidents of threats and intimidation.
The immigration teams are currently documenting foreign nationals at the Gansbaai Mosque and have completed the registration of approximately 50 people being accommodated at the Gansbaai Tourism Hall. They will thereafter proceed to the Stanford Community Hall, where approximately 110 people are being accommodated, before continuing to the Kleinmond Town Hall, where approximately 60 people are receiving support.
The MMC for Municipal Public Safety, Councillor Andrew Komani, together with Law Enforcement officers, is also on site to provide assistance where required.
The verification process is expected to take some time. Officials are collecting personal information at the various facilities before capturing the data at the Home Affairs office in Caledon. Once completed, the formal verification process will commence, including the compilation of reports, liaison with relevant foreign embassies.
