Ekurhuleni Food Bank received over R7-m worth of donations since April
Food to the value of R500 000 was donated to the Ekurhuleni metro's foodbank on Thursday.
Ekurhuleni mayor Clr Mzwandile Masina received a food donation of about a quarter of a million rands from the Progressive Business Forum on Thursday.
Launched on April 14, at Ekurhuleni Fresh Produce Market in Springs, Masina says they have already supplied food parcels to 18 241 households.
“We are reaching out to all the informal settlements and hostels.
“We are working with churches to help us distribute the food parcels,” he adds.
The mayor reiterated that none of the ward councillors are tasked to distribute the parcels.
“We are working with all the political parties in council.”
This comes after some residents in Ekurhuleni claimed that they did not receive food parcels because they are not members of the ruling party.
Also read: Rise Up Kasi feeding scheme continues to feed the community
Masina says that over R7-million worth of donations have been made to the Ekurhuleni Food Bank, to date.
“After we receive the items from our donors, health inspectors will come to check if the food is good before we take it to storage.”
The package is said to be a month’s supply worth of food.
The mayor admits that, in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, they only anticipated that the food bank would run for a couple of months.
“It is now clear that the food bank will have to run for much longer than we initially expected.”
Sipho Mbhele of the Progressive Business Forum said the initiative is important because Ekhuruleni is the epicenter
“We realised that we need to support this initiative’s needs to be sustainable, and for it not to be a once off.
“We must commend the mayor for putting up the food bank.
“On our side, as the PGF, we set up a Covid-19 team to engage with the business community.
“This is so that business people could come forward and support destitute families and non-governmental organisations in order to fight hunger.”
He said the organisation is engaged in relief programmes across the nation.
Econimic Freedom Fighters chair in council Clr Koketso Mojatau expressed his satisfaction with how the programme has been run thus far.
“I think that our presence plays a significant role in the project, especially in administration.
“We know that the staff that is working (at the food bank) aren’t being paid extra salaries.
“What makes us most happy is that no money from council has been spent to run the food bank.
It is unfortunate that the councilors have been removed from distribution, but we understand why,” he adds.
Also read: Old age home received food from OBC Chicken and Meat
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