DURBAN, KwaZulu-Natal — As South Africa prepares for the upcoming local government elections, the newly unveiled 2026 National Homeless Manifesto is challenging political parties to address the growing crisis of urban homelessness. Presented to political representatives at the Denis Hurley Centre in Durban, the comprehensive document calls for immediate improvements in shelter access, healthcare, and sanitation, while demanding an end to the alleged abuse of unhoused individuals by law enforcement.
Despite homelessness being a highly visible issue across the country’s major cities, Dr. Raymond Perrier, director and founder of the Denis Hurley Centre, highlighted a glaring omission in current political platforms. He noted that almost no political parties have outlined strategies to tackle the crisis in their election manifestos. This oversight is particularly concerning given that municipal councils hold the most direct influence over the daily lives of unhoused populations.
The initiative also seeks to shift the narrative around the political agency of homeless individuals. Often dismissed by politicians as inactive or lacking independent political voices, the vast majority of unhoused individuals are South African citizens with full voting rights. To facilitate civic participation, the Denis Hurley Centre actively assists with voter registration and serves as an official voting station. On election day, the center will host a diverse queue of local residents, priests from the neighboring cathedral, and homeless citizens standing together. This visible integration underscores the principle that every vote counts and that unhoused individuals must be viewed as vital constituents and potential solutions, rather than mere problems to be managed.
A significant hurdle in addressing the crisis is the absence of a cohesive national policy on homelessness. Currently, there are no minimum standards or mandates requiring municipalities to provide shelter, design accessible training programs, or facilitate job creation. Consequently, the treatment of homeless populations varies drastically between regions.
Dr. Perrier pointed to a stark contrast in municipal approaches. While the City of Cape Town—previously accused of criminalizing poverty despite arguing it spends the most per capita on shelters—has transitioned from one of the worst-performing metros to a leader in homelessness response, the eThekwini municipality in Durban has experienced the opposite trajectory, falling from a top performer to the worst. In Durban, the ANC has faced severe criticism for allegedly attempting to hide unhoused populations or turning a blind eye to incidents where state-funded private security firms abuse them.
To rectify these regional disparities, advocates are pushing for a unified national framework. Such a policy would legally mandate municipalities to provide essential services like shelters and ablution facilities. Furthermore, it would require local job creation and training programs to be non-discriminatory and shift policing strategies from punitive measures to developmental, supportive approaches.
The 2026 National Homeless Manifesto was collaboratively compiled by unhoused individuals working alongside various NGOs through the National Homeless Network. With over two dozen member organizations spanning every major metro and numerous other municipalities, the document represents a broad, grassroots coalition of voices. The manifesto is publicly available on the Denis Hurley Centre’s website and Facebook page, or by contacting the National Homeless Network directly, offering clear, straightforward demands to make life easier for the country’s most vulnerable citizens ahead of the November 4 polls.
