Food parcel red tape will chase donors away, warns DA
The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Gauteng says unnecessary red tape has the potential to chase away much-needed donors.
The Gauteng Department of Social Development earlier this week warned donors that they need to follow all the regulations, including social distancing, when doing their work.
Donors will also need a letter of authorisation from the department.
But the DA’s Refiloe Nt’sekhe believes the department won’t be able to issue authorisation letters to the donors in time.
"The department cannot deal with this crisis by themselves and the challenges currently being faced with regards to food parcel distribution indicates that they are not capacitated to deal with this centralised process,” she says.
She adds that alienating NGOs with strict red tape measures will leave more people hungry and destitute.
The department had defended the move, saying all authorization letters are decentralised and regional directors were given the authority to issue permits.
The department's Thabiso Hlongwane says parties must stop politicising the distribution of food parcels.
"We are calling for everyone who has a complain to write to the department so that it can be attended to, and no one has complained that they have not received letters.
"A total of 190 000 people have received food thus far since the inception of lockdown and we are continuing to distribute food parcels.”
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Donors need to follow the rules, warns Gauteng Social Development
This comes amid warnings that the country's hunger crisis is being exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic. A survey conducted by the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) on the impact and awareness of the coronavirus amongst South Africans, between 45% and 63% of participants reported that the lockdown would make it difficult to pay bills, debts, earn income, feed their families and keep their jobs.