Elderly Durban woman rescued from makeshift tent after months living in hiding

A 66-year-old woman who had been living in a makeshift tent on church property in New Germany, Durban, has been rescued and placed in a safe home. Volunteers from community upliftment organisation The Elders Voice KZN discovered the woman after receiving an alert, ending nearly three months during which she and her 33-year-old son had been living behind an electrical substation.

Discovery and condition

The Elders Voice KZN said it received an alert on a Sunday evening and visited the site the following day. Volunteers found a torn tent and a makeshift shelter behind an electrical substation on church property. The organisation described the woman as having suffered a stroke in February and said she was barefoot, dishevelled and exhausted.

Her wish: a warm bath

When volunteers offered help, the woman became tearful with relief. The organisation quoted her saying,

“I can’t wait to have a warm bath.”

She was later provided with a warm meal, clean clothes and a shower after being placed in a safe home.

Challenges at the site and intervention

The woman’s 33-year-old son remained inside the tent and refused to allow volunteers to meet him. The Elders Voice KZN described him as agitated and difficult to engage with, and said this raised concerns about how to safely assist his mother.

The organisation enlisted the help of Vincent de Beer from Gladiator Investigations. It said his intervention allowed volunteers to remove the woman safely from the site and praised his professionalism, compassion and calm.

Aftercare and next steps

The Elders Voice KZN said the woman is now safely settled in one of its homes and has received a warm meal, a long-awaited shower, clean clothes and a secure place to stay. Efforts are under way to assist her son; the organisation said it has contacted organisations that specialise in substance abuse and related support services in the hope he can receive help while maintaining contact with his mother.