DA complains to Human Rights Commission about the blocking of food distribution by NGOs

18 May 2020

The Democratic Alliance (DA) has lodged a complaint with the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) against the Department of Social Development (DSD) following a supposed instruction prohibiting NGOs from distributing cooked food to hungry people during this national lockdown period.

We are of the view that the ban on the distribution of cooked food is in violation of the Constitution - particularly on the right to dignity, the right to life and the right to sufficient food, water and appropriate social assistance.

Our complaint to the SAHRC is twofold:

Preventing soup kitchens and prepared hot meal schemes from operating places poor people, who cannot afford water and electricity to cook their own food, at risk of hunger. It is also not guaranteed that those who depend on cooked food will receive non-perishable food parcels timeously once distribution is halted - given the recent ongoing delays and reports of corruption related to the distribution of food parcels; and

While independent schemes may still operate, the rules they need to comply with make it almost impossible for them to continue their work. NGOs will essentially be expected to apply for permits every time they distribute food. The bureaucratic challenges within the DSD and SASSA will also make independent distribution impossible.

The ban on NGOs distributing cooked food will do more harm than good. Already in Gauteng, the DA has been reliably informed that the Cradle of Hope, an NGO based in Krugersdorp that has been supplying fresh sandwiches to around 600 needy residents for the past three years, has been forced to stop rendering this service after the Gauteng DSD issued a permit prohibiting them from distributing cooked food and only allows them to distribute non-perishable food parcels.

Many of the residents who depended on these sandwiches are likely to face starvation because they either cannot afford water and electricity, or they do not have access to these amenities, in order to cook their own food. The situation is further exacerbated by the fact that many families in Gauteng who have applied for food parcels in April are yet to receive any assistance from the Department

This instruction to prohibit NGOs from distributing cooked food is problematic given the fact that Social Development Minister, Lindiwe Zulu’s leaked regulations are still in the draft phase and, therefore, not enforceable. Further to this, the ban seems more like an attempt to exercise power and punish the poor, than an attempt to protect the vulnerable from starvation.

If the ANC-led Gauteng administration is serious about feeding the hungry and cares about the welfare of its people, then it must oppose the proposal by its national counterpart to ban the distribution of cooked meals.

Issued by Refiloe Nt’sekhe, DA Gauteng Shadow MEC for Social Development, 18 May 2020