The Democratic Alliance (DA) has come out saying that it has reliably informed that five of their (where DA has Councillors) wards in the Emfuleni Local Municipality (ELM) have been excluded from the distribution of food parcels while all their opposition, the ANC’s wards’ in this municipality are benefiting. The DA said that the ELM is not even considering people that were already on the indigent registers in these wards and that this has resulted in many families who are desperately in need of food not receiving any food parcels.

“The Gauteng Department of Social Development (DSD) officials and some politicians have allegedly been stealing and unfairly distributing food parcels that are meant to assist the financially strained families during this lockdown period.”

The party said that it is high time that both the department officials and politicians be reminded that these food parcels are meant for the poor so that they have sufficient sustenance during the period of national lockdown and are not be used for political gains.

“The DA recommends that the department should use each of the municipality’s indigent registers to distribute food parcels and only once the indigent register is exhausted can the department then explore other means of giving food parcels to those who qualify but never made it on to the indigent register.”

The DA further called on acting MEC for Social Development, Panyaza Lesufi to urgently investigate the allegations and that should it be found that these allegations are true, those implicated should be dealt with accordingly.

“Any person who steals food parcels is stealing from poor and must be arrested and face the might of the law. Members of the ANC and officials who are politicising food parcels should also be punished. Councillors should only be involved in giving the names of those in need but should not be involved in the distribution of food parcels.”