Lolo Madonsela
The Joint Operations Committee (JOC) on Covid-19 in AbaQulusi has called for police to arrest those who are illegally benefiting from Social Relief Distress (SRD) in the form of food parcels.
The call came after it emerged that there was an unnamed councillor who was going around the Zululand local municipalities, putting together a database of people in need of food parcels.
After lengthy deliberation, the JOC concluded that only ward councillors have the right to submit a list of people in need of SRD and that the list should come with the councillor’s stamp to confirm its legitimacy.
“Ward committees can compile a database, but they should hand the database over to the ward councillor. Then the councillor gives it to the Department of Social Development for screening and profiling before SRD is issued,” stated the JOC.
There was also a call not to politicize the distribution of food parcels.
“As we head towards local government elections next year, canvassing should not come with Covid-19. We all should work together and ensure that the right people get the food parcels, regardless of their political standing, gender or race. People can start canvassing for votes after the pandemic is over; right now, it is about the lives of people and we cannot gamble with their lives. For now, ours is to help people in need. If you want to politicize poverty, that is treason, because poverty does not know politics or race,” said JOC chairperson Bonga Ntanzi, who is also the AbaQulusi municipal manager.
Meanwhile, KZN Premier Sihle Zikalala has issued a stern warning against the politicization of food parcels.
This comes amid growing allegations of corruption and favouritism in the distribution of food parcels.
“We cannot allow a situation where food parcels meant to assist our hungry communities are politicized. Food parcels are meant to mitigate against the impact of Covid-19, especially in poor and vulnerable communities. As the KwaZulu-Natal provincial government, we cannot condone the politicization of food parcels,” said Zikalala.
He further stated that the national lockdown required a radical shift in the provincial government’s approach to service delivery, evoking emergency responses and structures co-ordinated by the Office of the Premier.
The Department of Social Department, together with SASSA and the Action Development Agency, provides SRD to address food insecurity as a result of the Covid-19 disaster.
Also read: Joint Operation Committee debates fate of mentally ill hospital patients
The qualifying criteria for SRD is as follows:
* A family that cannot make ends meet, as they have no maintenance or income, and reside at home.
* The breadwinner of the family has died or is admitted to an institution funded by the State for a period less than six months, and home circumstances have been assessed.
* A person assessed to be medically unfit to undertake any remuneration, or home circumstances assessed by a social worker.
* The individual or family waiting for an approval of an application for funding or social grant.
* Persons (children and adults) who were in receipt of cooked meals in State-funded / community development centres, as no meals are provided at the moment.
* A person who is in receipt of Child Support, Care Dependence and a Foster Care grant may qualify if home circumstances have been assessed and a social worker’s report recommends SRD.
* SASSA will give preference to grant beneficiaries who, for whatever reason, did not receive their grants for April where a temporary disability grant lapsed in March and the beneficiary cannot get to a SASSA office to re-apply, if they are still unable to work; where the beneficiary was defrauded of the grant; or other interruptions in payment.
Community members can call SASSA call centres on 0800-60-1011 or 033-846-3400. The community can also call the Department of Social Development call centre on 087-158-3000 or approach any community leader (councillor, traditional leader, Member of Parliament) or Operation Sukuma Sakhe (OSS) structures.
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