Some needy residents in Limpopo say they are experiencing difficulties in getting food parcels due to lack of communication between coordinators and communities.
The food parcels are provided as temporary relief for those who cannot meet their family’s most basic needs during the COVID-19 lockdown.
Residents of Mamojela informal settlement in Lephalale say they are unable to reach the coordinator of food parcels.
Linah Sepolwane is one of the residents unable to get assistance.
”People of Mamojela, we are poor as most of us are unemployed and don’t have food. We are appealing to government to assist us. We have submitted our names to our community leader so that we can get food parcels. We opted to register our names to the community leader because we don’t have any idea on how to apply for food parcel relief,” adds Sepolwane.
”Our challenge is that when we phone the coordinator to enquire about food parcels on the phone number provided by the Department of Social Development, the phone just rang.”
The video below, progress in the Limpopo provincial command team:
Meanwhile, the Limpopo COVID-19 Command Council has decided to centralise the distribution of food parcels in the province.
Social Development MEC, Nkakareng Rakgoale says this follows allegations of corruption by some local government leaders in the distribution of food parcels.
“The command council, after having received many complaints especially about councillors, has taken a decision to say perhaps we need to centralise this process to be led by the Department of Social Development and to rope in CDW and social workers.”
”By the end of today, we will be receiving lists from all the municipalities. We are going to create a food bank that is what you are seeing today. This is where each and every contribution from our service providers is being deposited and from there we distribute to the district according to the list that they have submitted to us,” explains Rakgoale.
Food parcels not for those who are politically connected: Makhura
Meanwhile, last week Gauteng Premier David Makhura said that food parcels will only be given to those who need them most and not those who are politically connected.
He was speaking at the launch of a COVID- 19 food bank in Ekurhuleni on Gauteng’s Eastrand.
The food bank is one of several in the province which has been opened to collect food donations for distribution to the poor through a ward-based system.
In the video below, Eersterust residents appeal for food parcels:
