Staff from NGO Afrika Tikkun in Dieplsloot help as the Steyn City Foundation delivers 3,000 packages of fresh produce and soap to the Diepsloot community, 9 April 2020, north of Johannesburg, during the nationwide lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic. Picture: Michel Bega
Food relief has been provided to 19,000 Gauteng households since the lockdown, Premier David Makhura said in a virtual briefing on Thursday.
“We have worked with various social partners to provide food relief to 19,000 households, reaching 98,000 people. On average, we distribute food packages to 2,000 households per day.”
Mkahura said food was also being provided to more than 3,000 homeless people daily at various shelters across the province.
“The demand for food relief far outstrips our current capacity to provide all those who are reporting that they are food insecure.
“We are working with social partners to increase food distribution to 4,000 households per day,” he added.
Food relief beneficiaries are identified according to the following criteria:
Makhura said “stringent measures” were put in place to ensure food relief went to those who needed it the most and “that there is no patronage network nor political interference in the distribution of food”.
Law enforcement
Meanwhile, the Gauteng government welcomed the arrest of 54 people in connection with incidents of crime at public schools in the province.
“We remain deeply concerned that more schools are continuing to be targeted by criminals who take advantage of the lockdown period.
“We are confident that our law enforcement agencies will bring the perpetrators of these crimes to book,” Makhura said.
In addition, the authorities responsible for the enforcement of lockdown regulations have arrested 10,126 suspects and opened 9,624 cases, while 7,481 suspects are awaiting court appearance.
“We remain concerned that there are those who are not adhering to the regulations.
“We express our full appreciation to the law enforcement agencies for their continuous efforts to enforce the lockdown regulations and to bring to book those who are not complying,” Makhura said.
As of Wednesday, the national health department recorded 2,506 confirmed Covid-19 cases, with 90,515 tests being conducted to date.
Seven more deaths were recorded in the country, bringing the toll to 34.
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