The Executive Mayor of Johannesburg, Cllr Geoffery Makhubo, has today briefed the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) on the City’s response to COVID-19.
Speaking to the Committee, the Mayor has announced that the City of Johannesburg is concerned with the rising levels of poverty in the City. This has resulted in an increasing number of people and households being in need of food and essential supplies.
The Mayor has announced that a significant number of the City’s residents are in urgent need of assistance to manage and mitigate against hunger.
“As a City we have taken a decision to source food parcels for one million households within the City as a means to provide social relief to poor households and communities over the next three months” said Mayor Makhubo.
“This intervention is critical given the increase in the number of households who as a result of the COVID-19 lockdown have suffered a loss of income and subsequently encountered economic hardship.”
The City has to date distributed over 45, 000 food parcels since the commencement of the lockdown. This is grossly inadequate to meet the need and demand from poor communities. The food parcel will be limited to R350 per parcel, per household and will be managed via an e-voucher system. Secondly, the City intends on engaging the Consumer Goods Council to assist in the negotiation of prices and security of supply.
As a City government we also hope to activate the local economy through empowering local shops in our communities to package and redeem vouchers as a stimulation for the township economies.
Working with the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA), the City aims to build a consolidated indigent register to help identify those households that will be qualifying for food-relief to ensure that those who benefit are identified and verified through a systematic process.
“Donations from various Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO’s), private businesses and persons have been received and are most appreciated.”
“However, we encourage all donors to work with government in the distribution of food so as to ensure there is an equitable distribution of food to communities in need and to avoid unnecessary social unrest that we have witnessed in some instances where donors have donated food without coordinated identification of beneficiaries and distribution plans” said Mayor Makhubo.
END.
For Media Enquiries
Mlimandlela Ndamase
Director: Mayoral Communications
MlimandlelaN@joburg.org.za
083 480 0014
