Zululand District Municipality food voucher scheme to help the needy
The district partnered with Boxer Superstores
ZULULAND District Municipality Mayor, Thulasizwe Buthelezi, accompanied by IFP President Emeritus, Inkosi Mangosuthu Buthelezi, recently launched the Sethembe food relief programme at the Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi Airport in Ulundi.
The purpose of the programme is to help ease the harsh economic effects the Covid-19 pandemic are having on many struggling families in the district.
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Food vouchers worth R1 000 each will be handed to 5 000 families.
With the annual South African Local Government Association (SALGA) games not taking place this year, the district municipality’s executive committee decided to redirect the R5-million budget for the SALGA games towards food relief initiatives.
The district partnered with Boxer Superstores that will create plastic cards that can be redeemed for food at any Boxer Superstore.
About 50 cards per ward were distributed to beneficiaries in 24 Ulundi wards.
Sixty cards per ward went to the 21 wards in Nongoma, 50 cards per ward went to the 15 wards in Pongola, and 60 cards went to each of the 30 wards in Dumbe and Abaqulusi.
Inkosi Buthelezi expressed his gratitude to the Zululand District Municipality and Boxer Superstores for their contribution to bring relief to destitute families.
‘One of the biggest problems experienced by relief programmes right now is that of corruption. We have seen in news reports and we have heard from our own leaders that when food parcels are handed out, chaos tends to ensue.
‘It is, therefore, a stroke of genius on the part of the district municipality to partner with Boxer Superstores to create plastic cards that can be redeemed for food.
‘Each card has a unique number and will only be issued to families identified by ward councillors, Amakhosi and Izinduna as being destitute,’ he said.
