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Among the many difficulties South Africans face at this time, wondering where their next meal will come from should not be one of them.
This was the word from President Cyril Ramaphosa who, in his weekly newsletter to South Africans on Monday morning, vowed to tackle hunger during the national lockdown.
The lockdown, which has been in place from March 26, has seen the already vulnerable economy taking a battering. South Africa’s poor, many of whom are reliant on piece jobs not considered essential, have borne the brunt of it.
“Alleviating hunger is not an act of charity. It is an imperative for any society that is founded on respect for human rights,” said Ramaphosa.
He said that South Africa was at a point in its battle with the pandemic where complacency could prove disastrous.
“As government we will this week be providing information on the direct interventions we are taking to shield our most vulnerable citizens from the grim prospect of starvation.”
Read: No school means no food for kids
Although many countries around the world had imposed Covid-19 coronavirus lockdowns with a view to saving the lives of their citizens, South Africa’s lockdown had “revealed a very sad fault line in our society that reveals how grinding poverty, inequality and unemployment is tearing the fabric of our communities apart,” Ramaphosa said.
“There can be no greater anguish than that of a parent whose children cry out to them for food, but they have none to give. There can be no greater injustice than a society where some live in comfort and plenty, while others struggle at the margins to survive with little or nothing at all.
“Yes, these are the residual effects of a fractured and unequal past. But they are also a symptom of a fundamental failing in our post-apartheid society. The nationwide lockdown in response to the coronavirus has gravely exacerbated a long-standing problem,” he said.
Over the past three weeks, South Africans had been confronted with distressing images of desperate people clamouring for food parcels at distribution centres and of community protests against food shortages.
“We have also had to contend with allegations both disturbing and disgusting. A number of provinces have received reports that callous individuals, some of them allegedly government officials, are hoarding or selling food parcels earmarked for the needy and destitute, or diverting them to their friends and families,” Ramaphosa said.
On Sunday, City Press reported how food parcels meant for the poor had been looted.
Read: Councillors accused of looting food parcels meant for the poor
Ramaphosa vowed to deal “harshly” with the individuals involved if the allegations were found to be true.
He added that the government had to act quickly to save lives.
“And we must acknowledge that in the days and weeks that have followed, the provision of support to our country’s most vulnerable citizens has been slower than required, and that lapses have occurred.”
However, he said, the payment of social grants has proceeded relatively smoothly, and after a number of technical challenges, the food distribution system was being streamlined.
Cabinet would finalise a set of measures to respond to the impact of the lockdown on the livelihoods of our people. This has been preceded by a range of engagements with a number of stakeholders including business, labour, religious organisations, civil society and the Presidential Economic Advisory Council.
The social partners have put forward a number of proposals on interventions that could address the immediate vulnerability of the poorest of the poor, most of whom rely on social assistance to survive.
“We will scale up welfare provision during this period to help households living below the poverty line,” said Ramaphosa, adding that when the nationwide lockdown was lifted, its effects would continue to be felt for some time to come.
“Food support is a short-term emergency measure. It will need to be matched by sustainable solutions that help our most vulnerable citizens weather the difficult times that are still to come.”
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| City Press is an agenda-setting South African news brand that publishes across platforms. Its flagship print edition is distributed on a Sunday. |
