I will not stop caring for the vulnerable, despite the ANC’s attacks

18 May 2020

‘Yesterday, ANC City Caucus Leader Xolani Sotashe called for me to be disciplined for providing emergency food relief to residents. I want to assure the ANC that I will never stop caring for the vulnerable, and that I will continue to play my part in social relief efforts,’ said Mayor Plato.

While the mandate for food relief primarily lies with national and provincial government, the City is doing everything possible to assist in caring for those in need. This is done together with NGOs, religious leaders and residents, who assist us to ensure aid reaches those most in need, across the City, without discrimination.

‘The fact is the ANC wants to attack and disrupt every effort being made to care for the vulnerable. To date, the ANC has called for the province to stop school feeding schemes, has viciously attacked the City for caring for the homeless, and now they are calling on me to stop distributing emergency food relief,’ said Mayor Plato.

The Mayor added that the ANC seems desperate to ensure that food aid comes strictly from party-aligned sources only.

‘We have raised our concerns at the highest level about national regulations that obstruct and complicate efforts to care for the vulnerable. This ranges from attempts to centralise food relief with SASSA, to nonsensical prohibitions of cooked food. Despite this, we will do whatever is necessary to assist the most vulnerable with food relief,’ said Mayor Plato.

The Mayor’s Special Fund has so far supported 76 soup kitchens, with plans to support 150 more. Support includes dry ingredients and equipment such as gas burners to keep their operations running.  

City Councillors have pooled a further R12 million in emergency food relief funding to be distributed by NGs to the most vulnerable. Many of our Councillors are also running soup kitchens out of their own pockets.

The Provincial government, in turn, has availed a full R53 million through its social development department, while the City awaits further disaster funding from the national government.

The Mayor confirmed that all the City’s humanitarian relief efforts are fully compliant with the spirit of national and provincial guidelines.

Issued by Greg Wagner, Spokesperson to the Executive Mayor, 18 May 2020