Mayor of Kingston, Desmond McKenzie (left), examines work being done yesterday near Sabina Park in time for Cricket World Cup 2007, set to begin next month. The mayor was accompanied by officials from the KSAC.

Edmond Campbell, News Coordinator

Mayor of Kingston, Desmond McKenzie, has vowed to resist any attempts at removing homeless persons from the streets of downtown Kingston in time for Cricket World Cup (CWC) 2007.

Speaking with journalists while touring Kingston and St. Andrew Corporation (KSAC) projects in Kingston to facilitate Cricket World Cup 2007, set to begin in March, Mayor McKenzie said he has received a number of calls from persons, including the Ministry of Health, who raised concerns about what he said was the planned removal of street people.

He did not name persons who called to query the alleged action.

Several other issues

Minister of Health, Horace Dalley, told The Gleaner that he has not been informed about any removal of homeless people in Kingston, noting that he had been busy dealing with several other issues affecting the health sector.

However, he directed us to his Permanent Secretary, Dr. Grace Allen Young, but attempts to reach her were unsuccessful.

According to Mayor McKenzie, the KSAC has no plans to carry out such an action, and he cautioned that such a move by any other agency would be met with strong resistance from members of the corporation.

Mayor McKenzie noted that the relocation of homeless people would only be supported by the KSAC if persons were being taken to a permanent facility.

"We will not allow people to gather up human beings like cattle and dump them into some unknown area, we have to fight against that vigorously, if that is on the drawing board, they better forget it," he declared.