The Minister of Social Development Lindiwe Zulu at a media briefing earlier today (29 April) outlined details of the work the department was doing to assist the vulnerable.
As the lockdown continued, the minister said, those who were already struggling now found themselves in dire straits and she shared some of the steps being taken to address this.
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She said that while she was particularly pleased at the assistance the department had received regarding the distribution of food parcels around the country, there was one area of concern.
“We want to make a plea that these food parcels must not only be sent to those areas that are easily accessible. The problem we have is that there are far-flung places which are not receiving assistance.”
The minister asked those organising food parcel delivery to remember those in remote areas and urged the public to help identify those communities which may be overlooked.
The minister highlighted that 163 shelters for the homeless had been provided country-wide, accommodating more than 14 000 people.
At the shelters, the homeless were provided with personal protective equipment, dignity packs, food, sanitisers, mattresses and blankets. They also had access to substance abuse and psycho-social support services.
Gender-Based Violence (GBV) had also increased and this had prompted the department to strengthen the capacity of its GBV Command Centre by adding additional qualified social workers.
Zulu added, “Working with civil society we have developed referral pathways during the lockdown to faster assist victims of GBV to link up with relevant authorities.”
The department called on the public to remain committed to ending GBV in all its forms. The minister went on to say that the department would continue to strengthen partnerships with civil society and other key stakeholders in the fight against GBV.
Minister Zulu urged the elderly in particular to follow the lockdown rules.
“Listen to what you are being advised to do. We don’t know how long this pandemic will last and we need to do all that we can to save as many lives as possible.”
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