Official opening of four new soup kitchens
Upholding the constitutional right of every South African to have access to sufficient food and water has been a priority for government, business and civil society over the past 20 years.
However, whilst all have made significant efforts to address hunger and food insecurity, with little collaboration between these sectors of society, the response has been inadequate and food insecurity continues to represent one of the greatest stumbling blocks to social, emotional and economic development in South Africa.
Food insecurity—meaning a lack of access to food of sufficient quality and quantity to perform usual daily activities—lies at the heart of the hardship faced by over 11 million South Africans. Women, children and the elderly are the most severely affected. As in most countries worldwide, food insecurity in South Africa is indisputably a consequence of poverty, and poverty is directly linked to income inequality.
The rising food prices, particularly of maize and wheat, which forms the staple diet of the poor in South Africa, makes it even worse and therefore we are posed with serious problems for the urban and rural poor.
The Department of Social Development (DSD) gives effect to the food for all campaign through the social protection element of our work, which makes funding available to soup kitchens and drop-in-centres to run food provision points across the province. The 2013/14 financial year will see the establishment of an additional 28 soup kitchens in War on Poverty wards, ensuring that each and every War on Poverty ward has a food provision point. This will bring to total the number of soup kitchens across the province to 137. In total the Department will allocate about R11 500 000 towards these soup kitchens to provide 600 000 meals to 32 000 households. These soup kitchens respond to the needs of the poor, vulnerable and destitute who find it difficult to respond to the shocks and stresses that threaten their livelihoods.
The four soup kitchens to be officially opened by the MEC for Social Development Ms Tiny Chotelo are:
ZFM District
Postmasburg
1. Jean Haven Soup Kitchen
Venue: Jean Haven Community
Date: 13 February 2014
Time: 11h00
2. Maramane Soup Kitchen
Venue: Maramane Soup Kitchen
Date: 13 February 2014
Time: 14h00
Frances Baard District
Jan Kempdorp
3. Valspan Soup Kitchen
Venue: Valspan Soup Kitchen
Date: 14 February 2014
Time: 11h00
Warrenton
4. Venue: Tlhamelo Soup Kitchen
Date: 14 February 2014
Time: 14h00
Each soup kitchen will be receiving starting capital of R105 000.
For any media enquiries related to the official opening of the soup kitchens you can contact the Media Liaison Officer of the Department of Social Development:
Mr Lesego Pule
Cell: 072 358 7481
