Cape Town - The City of Cape Town has approved R10 million in food relief for the most vulnerable communities affected by Covid-19 and has committed a further R15 million for its second phase of assisting residents.
In a statement, executive mayor Dan Plato said many residents have been struggling to put food on the table because of the national lockdown.
He said it was clear government support had to be extended through food aid and local soup kitchens.
Plato said the donations were intended to assist feeding operations, and the city was doing all it could to assist.
“Lives and livelihoods have been severely affected by Covid-19.
“The ability to earn an income means residents can contribute to the economy, create jobs for others and build dignity through being able to provide for their families.
“This is something many residents have not been able to do because of the impact of the national Covid-19 lockdown.
“The hardship experienced by many through the loss of income is something we are acutely aware of. I regularly have residents contacting me in desperation for assistance. We have a duty to assist them as government,” Plato said.
Since April 2020, more than 200 soup kitchens have been supported through the mayor’s office, which provided kitchen equipment and ingredients in addition to food parcels.
Mayoral committee member for urban management Alderman Grant Twigg said the grant-in-aid allocation and various local area economic initiatives that were undertaken during 2020 would expand its response as a municipality to the call of its communities facing dire circumstances.
“The city remains committed to providing food support programmes to support many vulnerable households adversely affected by Covid-19,” Twigg said.
African News Agency (ANA)