DA calls on MEC Lesufi to speed up distribution of  food parcels as people are starving

13 May 2020

The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Gauteng is deeply concerned that some of our people who are desperate in need of food during this national lock-down period have not yet received any food due to delays in the distribution of food parcels.

Even though some of these people applied for food parcels a month ago they have not yet had any response from the Gauteng Social Development department.

The department made promises that the food parcels will be delivered within 48 hours and failed to meet its own time frame.

Most of our people who reside in informal settlements, townships and rural communities are living in fear of starvation because they have been unemployed since the national lockdown was implemented 46 days ago to help curb the spread of the potentially deadly COVID-19 virus.

The department is only aiming to distribute 4000 food parcels per day which is not enough and cannot cover the large numbers that are hungry for food.

This clearly indicates that the department is incapacitated, under resourced and understaffed, leaving them incapable to distribute food parcels unassisted.

It is high time that the department considers making it easier to work with NGOs: ensuring that permits are easier and faster to process. This will speed up the process of distributing food parcels.

While the National Department Social Development is calling for the removal of hot cooked food, the Gauteng Department of Social Development should fight this because it will cause massive starvation amongst our people who depend on hot cooked food such as soup kitchens.

The DA is calling on Acting Gauteng Social Development MEC, Panyaza Lesufi to speed up the process of distributing food parcels to the needy people in this province and ensure that no one suffers from starvation.

Issued by RefiloeNt’sekhe, DA Gauteng Shadow MEC for Social Development, 13 May 2020