Durban – The South African Revenue Service (Sars) and the Department of Trade Industry and Competition (DTIC) have donated tons of seized clothing, blankets and footwear to flood victims in KwaZulu-Natal, Eastern Cape, North West, and the Free State.
A joint statement said Project Sizani (We all Help) was initiated after President Cyril Ramaphosa declared a state of disaster in response to the recent heavy rains and flooding in these provinces.
The roll-out of a pilot programme for donations in KZN last week came as the need for blankets became critical in the eThekwini metro.
“During the 7-day pilot (project) 1 612 blankets are being donated to specific flood victims at shelters in eThekwini, as identified by the KZN Premier’s Office. In total, 35 806 seized blankets and duvets are earmarked for distribution across the affected disaster areas in the country,” the statement read.
It said the process of engagement with Eastern Cape and North West had started.
Sars commissioner Edward Kieswetter thanked all government departments for collaborating to deliver such a sizeable donation to assist the victims of floods.
“We hope and trust that this gesture of goodwill will go a long way in mitigating suffering that was brought about by this natural calamity. The blankets, especially now during winter, will a make difference to all,” he said.
Project Sizani was the brainchild of Sars which came up with the idea of making seized clothing, blankets and footwear available.
These seized items are strictly regulated by the Customs Act, Act 91 of 1964, administered by Sars, and the Counterfeit Goods Act, administered by the Department of Trade Industry and Competition, as well as a 2009 and 2020 Nedlac agreement.
The agreement stipulates that seized goods must be destroyed to avoid disruption to the South African market.
“It is important to note that Sars, by itself, is not in a position to conduct an operation of this magnitude from a legislative or operational perspective.
“A raft of engagements and approvals by various key government and other external stakeholders, as well as their direct involvement, were required to make it happen,” said the statement.
This included a “once-off deviation” from the Nedlac agreement, as agreed upon during a meeting with key stakeholders in the Clothing Textile Footwear and Leather Industry (CTFL) to enable the donation of specific CTFL goods that have been seized and forfeited to Sars to the victims of the April floods.
The operation was led by a governance task team established for this purpose.
This team works in close collaboration with the National Disaster Management Committee to obtain information and direction on matters of common interest, as well as to align the efforts of the donations of the goods with the bigger government led project.
The task team is responsible for overseeing the process and to ensure that the donated goods are accounted for. The distribution is monitored with the help of the Department of Social Development and the shelters that are housing people displaced by the floods.
Other role players include the KZN Premier’s Office, the provincial department of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta), organised labour and the CTFL industry, and the South African Association of Ship Operators and Agents (Saasoa), which assisted with the transport of the containers to the warehouse in Durban, from where distribution takes place.
