Mondi’s top priority throughout the pandemic has been to safeguard its employees, contractors and the communities which it serves.
It continues to implement best practice Covid-19 health and safety protocols throughout its operations and has a responsibility to provide an ongoing supply of materials to its customers, many of whom produce food and hygiene products.
“We take our responsibility as a provider of essential goods to our country seriously and we are proud to be of service in South Africa. We have also played our part by supporting our employees, customers, suppliers and communities in and around our operations in KwaZulu-Natal,” said Viv McMenamin CEO Mondi South Africa.
In keeping with the spirit of ubuntu and supporting the most vulnerable during the Covid-19 pandemic, Mondi has also donated much-needed food parcels to families in Mandlazini.
The food parcels were delivered to the Mqedi Community Care Centre, which supports orphaned and vulnerable children. This donation was part of Mondi’s ‘Masidle’ (‘Let’s Eat’) campaign, which has been extending a helping hand to various communities across KwaSokhulu, KwaMbonambi, Nseleni, Port Durnford and KwaDlangezwa.
The programme is a collaborative effort by Mondi South Africa and its employees, to ensure food is provided to those in need. Mondi has partnered with Gift of the Givers, the uMhlathuze food bank and Government to distribute food to the local communities in which it operates.
Through the Masidle campaign, Mondi has fed over 2,000 families for a full month. This is one of the many ways in which Mondi has been supporting communities in and around its operations in KwaZulu-Natal at a time when many households have lost their source of income.
“We applaud Mondi for its contribution, particularly during this period when most people who earn a living as informal traders or own small businesses, have now lost their source of income,” said Lucky Zondo, Ward 4 Councillor.
“Mondi has funded nine mobile clinics that have been operating in rural KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga provinces for several years as part of a partnership with the Provincial Departments of Health and other stakeholders. The mobile clinics have been dispatched to different areas to assist in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic working with the Department of Health in the King Cetshwayo district,” said Hlengiwe Mvubu, Mondi Corporate Social Investment Manager.
Mondi has also supported front line health care workers fighting the Covid-19 pandemic with a donation of 100,000 FFP3/N95 medical-grade masks and the provision of medical supplies to 14 mobile health clinics and 48 further health facilities.
“We hope that this donation contributes significantly to the protection of our health workers in KwaZulu-Natal,’ said Viv McMenamin, Mondi South Africa CEO. The much sought after higher grade medical masks were donated to the Solidarity Fund for delivery to the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Health at a cost of just under R10 million.
“The FFP3/N95 respiratory masks are critical personal protective equipment to protect doctors and nurses in our hospitals and will ensure the demand for quality masks will be met over the coming months,” said Sihle Zikalala, KZN Premier.
Other initiatives that Mondi has been involved in include improving access to water through the installation of 40 additional tanks in rural areas and providing more than 500,000 litres of water to communities during the lockdown.
On Mandela Day, a video produced by Mondi staff and distributed to healthcare centres recognised and thanked local healthcare workers for their extraordinary contributions in the fight against Covid-19 in South Africa.
It is in your hands to make our world a better one for all. (Nelson Mandela)
