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The Executive Mayor Cllr Geoff Makhubo says Johannesburg communities need to stand in solidarity with indigent residents in light of the Covid-19 pandemic, which has laid bare the need for food security and resilience in poorer households.
Makhubo says although people need to comply with regulations of the Disaster Management Act to avoid spreading the novel coronavirus during the lockdown, hungry people can’t be isolated.
The Mayor notes that the City's social response to the Covid-19 pandemic needs to unfold through collaborative efforts with non-profit organisations spread across the municipality. He says residents must be content to dispense unity to ensure impoverished residents don’t go through the lockdown hungry.
“One can’t social distance hungry people, thus we need more food resilience interventions in our communities,” he says.
Mayor Makhubo visited the Eldorado Park Covid-19 Disaster Forum on Saturday, 9 May, which helps alleviate the scourge of hunger in the community. Makhubo was accompanied by Members of the Mayoral Committee (MMCs) for Community Development and Economic Development, Cllr Margaret Arnolds and Cllr Lloyd Philips respectively.
The forum streamlines food relief interventions from faith-based organisations, NGOs, unions, political parties and entrepreneurs from the community to assist needy families. Since the lockdown began over a month ago, the Eldos forum has donated more than 3 800 food parcels to indigent households in the area.
“We are proud of the work this forum does to fight the Covid-19 pandemic in Ward 17 and 18,” he explains.
Makhubo adds that the Covid-19 Disaster Forum assists the City to work in a systematic way. “With social solidarity being one of the pillars of government in responding to the Covid-19 pandemic, I’m glad to see the Eldos forum assisting our residents.”
