ANC slams heartless DA cutting funds for poor

The Western Cape ANC says the uncaring DA for a third consecutive year continues heartlessly to cut funding for dire poverty alleviate and give some nourishment to thousands of destitute or ill people like those with TB or HIV and Aids.

The plight of these people increases as pressure mounts on other feeding schemes to assist those whose source to a meal three times a week was taken away by the DA-led Western Cape provincial government's department of social development.

So far three DA MEC's stopped or drastically reduced funding to various poverty projects. Many projects have closed down and more a suffering as this year alone about a hundred in Cape Town alone lost provincial assistance. Other projects like the Saartjie Baartman shelters for abused women were also on the brink of closing their doors.

Leader of the opposition in the provincial legislature Lynne Brown says: "The levels of inequality and poverty in this province is so extreme that often the feeding scheme is the only provider of some food or a bowl of soup for the poor hungry person in a day or so. Yet, more funding is frequently cut back.

"These uncaring deeds against the poor are unacceptable. It is shameful that this DA in government sees fit to pay millions of Rand into the extension of the convention centre or spending fortunes on honouring the American first family Obamas, but cannot spend money on food for starving people in the province."

Residents of the province should take note of the DA's war on poor as only a few schemes are left to help those that cannot fend for themselves.

Statement issued by Lynne Brown, ANC leader of the official opposition in the Western Cape legislature, May 25 2012

Click here to sign up to receive our free daily headline email newsletter