Vhembe District Municipality opens food bank
We shall protect our vulnerable residents, says Vhembe executive mayor Dowelani Nenguda
Vhembe District Municipality opens district food bank
Benson Ntlemo
Vhembe District Municipality Executive Mayor Dowelani Nenguda says the district municipality will come down hard on unscrupulous people who use the plight of the people during the lockdown times for their own selfish ends.
Speaking at Malamulele Boxing Gym today during the launch of the Vhembe district food bank, Nenguda said: “We are not going to tolerate people who will capitalise on the vulnerability of our people for their own nefarious ends,” he said.
Accompanied by the four local municipality mayors in Vhembe Nenguda said the district has decided to coordinate the distribution of food parcels and personal protective clothes in the district.
He said the district would have its own depot and all the food parcels and protective clothes would be registered and it would be known how many goes to a particular ward to people who would be identified by all the relevant stakeholders.
He said that would prevent some people selling fake items which would be hazardous to the health of people or people selling the items for gain.
“The district will work in unison with SASSA, the department of social development and ward councilors to identify the beneficiaries,” he said.
But the role of councilors would be limited to helping identify the deserving beneficiaries in their wards but they would not distribute food or protective items themselves.
“We must excuse the ward councilors from distribution in order to protect their reputations because there is too much controversy,” he said.
The host mayor Moses Maluleke of the Collins Chabane Local Municipality said ward councilors are expected to work in their wards and any ward councilor who works in a ward outside his would be reported to the police and be arrested.
“This is because we do not want corruption as there are people who may use this situation for their own benefit,” he said.
Vhembe District Municipality spokesperson Matodzi Ralushai said the centrilisation of food parcels and protective materials will go a long way in making sure there is no corruption during lockdown period.
MP Faith Muthambi attended the launch in her oversight role as chairperson of the portfolio committee on cooperative governance and traditional affairs.
