VEREENIGING.- Two good Samaritans, Sindi Mazibuko and Amanda Pilson are helping the community of Vereeniging with food donations.
The prolonged lockdown has moved the two to priorities helping the residents of the former Vereeniging Hospital (21), followed by others in the area. Stanley Gaba, Emfuleni Local Municipality (ELM) Spokesperson, has cited poverty and hunger as some of the things that makes the public panic.
He said the old hospital now consists of dilapidated building and shelters and that the families that occupy the area are especially in need of help.
“The facility is owned by the Department of Public Works, and has over the years been earmarked for redevelopment and repurposing,” he said.
During the last weekend of April, Mazibuko and Pilson provided soup and breakfast to the residents, in a compassionate and remarkable effort to help struggling families living in the building. They rallied their friends to join them in helping the hostel residents, mainly women and children, however, their noble cause was not without challenges.
Gaba said the municipality noted and appreciated the efforts of the donors to feed and clothe the poor, but warned that all donations should be undertaken observing lockdown regulations announced by the national and provincial governments.
These include the foremost rule of social distancing, which is often contravened when food relief packages and donations are handed to beneficiaries.
“The municipality is inundated with requests for permits from donors for food distributions in its jurisdiction. Through the Gauteng Department of Social Development, the municipality is facilitating and receiving donations in kind from all organisations, companies, civil society bodies and individual citizens who would like to assist with sanitizers, toiletries, sanitary towels, food and nutrition supplies, mattresses, blankets and equipment, amongst others,” said Gaba.
He further advised that such donations should be delivered to the designated temporary shelters at Saul Tsotetsi Sports Complex in Sebokeng and General Smuts High School in Vereeniging.
Caption: The two good Samaritan hand food parcels to the needy residents at the former Vereeniging hospital recently.
Caption: The two good Samaritan hand food parcels to the needy residents at the former Vereeniging hospital recently.
