He believes his chances of winning the election are slim, but for Cape Town Ward 54 candidate Carlos Mesquita, the real win would be changing public perceptions about the homeless community.
Carlos Mesquita went from record company boss to spending five years on the streets of Cape Town when he lost it all to substance abuse. Now he is running for ward councillor in Sea Point, the same area where he “skarrelled” for a living.
The 52-year-old has been off the streets for more than a year, in which time he helped establish Our House, an “independent living” accommodation for the homeless, and founded the Rehoming Collective, an NPO aimed at rehoming the homeless in a dignified manner. It was also the only party on his radar that addressed the homelessness issue in a progressive manner. Good’s mayoral candidate, Brett Herron, said the party’s decision to field Mesquita as Ward 54 candidate was inspired by his “unique connection to the Atlantic Seaboard”.
“Accommodation for people is the first thing to give them their dignity back, then employment and social services as well as rehabilitation services.”
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