Cape Town - The Western Cape Government has started the roll-out of the 50 000 food parcels which the province has undertaken to fund and distribute.
This was announced by Premier Alan Winde on Monday is his daily coronavirus response update, where he also revealed that the province has spent R7 million on feeding schemes and food parcels.
Winde said: "We have determined that municipalities in the Western Cape have so far spent R7 million on feeding schemes and food parcels during the lockdown.
"We continue to receive thousands of requests daily for food relief. We have doubled our call centre capacity in order to deal with the increased call volumes, however we understand that there is still a backlog and we are working 24/7 to ensure we onboard additional trained call centre agents," he said.
He added that Western Cape residents should please carefully read the qualifying criteria and details around the vetting process before filling in the form.
"Our food relief parcels are intended for those most in need, they are limited in number, and they will only be dispensed once a social worker has approved the application," he said.
The qualifying criteria for relief are:
- Households affected by Covid-19 infections in the following instances:
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A member/s of the family tested positive for the virus and they are in quarantine in their homes.
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A household where a member of the family tested positive for the virus and where they have insufficient means to sustain themselves during the lockdown period.
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A person who is on medication or who suffers from a chronic illness and has insufficient means to sustain themselves and was assessed and referred by a local clinic or registered health practitioner.
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A person and their household who have insufficient means to sustain themselves during the lockdown period who was referred by a registered humanitarian relief agency, registered NPO or a municipal manager, and assessed by provincial Department of Social Development (DSD). In this instance, persons not yet in receipt of SASSA grants, including the elderly, child headed houses, grant awaiting beneficiaries will be prioritised.
To find out how to apply for food relief, visit the provincial DSD website here: https://www.westerncape.gov.za/department-of-health/food-relief
The website adds that: " Note that filling in the application form does not guarantee a food parcel - it only guarantees that you will be assessed in terms of criteria, as we need to make sure the limited parcels reach the most vulnerable people first."
Cape Argus