CLOSING down Johannesburg's Central Methodist Church-without a sustainable alternative for the refugees living there - would not solve the problems of overcrowding at the church and homelessness in the city centre, or reduce immigra­tion into SA.

This was the message yesterday of 45 civil society organisations, which called on the government to set up a task team to find suitable alternative accommodation for the more than 3 000 people sheltering at the church.

The call came amid talk of closing the church, which is a thorn in the side of the municipality, the Gauteng provincial government and busi-' nesses in the area because of the health hazards and overcrowding, which spills onto the streets.

The threat of closure has been heightened by the approach of the Soccer World Cup.
The civil society organisations acknowledged that the current situ­ation at the church was not sustain­able - there were health and other risks, especially for children.

But if the church were closed, the people who shelter there "would not miraculously evaporate". Instead, "refugees would be dispersed and forced underground into places where they would be less accessible and in greater danger of health and human rights violations".

The organisations said a task team should include representatives of migrants and refugees.

The AIDS Law Project's Mark Heywood said there were no easy answers, but "all the relevant people need to put their heads together" to find solutions. A permanent solution would need to address the political crisis in Zimbabwe as well as the needs of those here because of that crisis, he said.

Franny Rabkin