Staff Reporter
President Cyril Ramaphosa has issued a stern warning against officials stealing food aid meant for people struggling to make ends meet as a result of the ongoing national lockdown.
He said such conduct was grossly immoral and that perpetrators should be prosecuted.
“We are deeply disturbed by reports of unscrupulous people abusing the distribution of food and other assistance for corrupt ends,” Ramaphosa said.
“We will not hesitate to ensure that those involved in such activities face the full might of the law.”
The president’s warning follows numerous reports of councillors and politicians allegedly diverting some food parcels to their preferred recipients or not distributing them on time.
The Department of Social Development together with the Solidarity Fund, NGOs and community-based organisations are expected to distribute 250 000 food parcels across the country in the coming two weeks.
Meanwhile, an additional R100 billion will be set aside for the protection of jobs and to create employment.
Ramaphosa said since the declaration of the state of national disaster over a month ago, the government has put in place a range of measures to support workers’ wages and assist companies in distress
He said to date the Unemployment Insurance Fund’s special COVID-19 benefit had paid out R1.6 billion, assisting over 37 000 companies and 600 000 workers.
A further R40 billion has been set aside for income support payments for workers whose employers are not able to pay their wages.
“We continue to provide assistance – in the form of loans, grants and debt restructuring – to SMMEs (small, medium and micro-sized enterprises), spaza shop owners and other informal businesses,” Ramaphosa said.
The value of this assistance to date is over R100 million.
An additional amount of R2 billion will be made available to assist SMEs and spaza shop owners and other small businesses.
A facility by the Industrial Development Corporation to support companies to procure or manufacture personal protective equipment has been utilised in the past few weeks, with finance of R162 million approved to date.
Other forms of support have been extended to artists, athletes and technical personnel, as well as to waste pickers and public works participants in the environment sector.