The Limpopo Covid-19 Provincial Command Council established a provincial food bank to make sure that all deserving communities get food parcels. The food bank was established after complaints that food parcels were not reaching those most deserving.
Several residents from the Campbell township outside Musina complained that they were left out in the cold when food parcels were recently distributed in their area. According to one of the community members, Sewani Kaunda, most of those left out were really struggling to get food. They now had to turn to either neighbours or local businesses for help.
Witness Tiva from the Department of Social Development (DSD) said that, initially, ward councillors received food from donors to be distributed to the vulnerable. Unfortunately, complaints started coming in that some ward councillors were giving food parcels to people not deserving of them. This prompted the Limpopo Covid-19 Provincial Command Council to establish a provincial food bank. All food donated will therefore in future be stored at the food bank and systematically distributed to all deserving members of the communities.
According to the MEC for Social Development (DSD), Nkakareng Rakgoale, the new system involves all political parties represented in the Provincial Legislature. To make sure all vulnerable people receive food parcels, Tiva added, the process of identifying vulnerable households was still continuing.
"We were not officially informed that there is a list of vulnerable residents being compiled, so that they could get food parcels. It was only through WhatsApp groups that we learnt some food was going to be distributed to the people listed. Surprisingly, when it comes to the voting campaign, the very same people knock on our doors for our vote," said Kaunda.
Commenting on the food bank, Kaunda feels distribution of food parcels should be the responsibility of SASSA or the donors. Another Musina resident, Prince Tlou, suggested that food distribution should be left in the hands of NGOs.