WATCH | Centurion residents queue for kilometres to receive food parcels

Residents of the Mooiplaas and Spruit informal settlements in Centurion, north of Johannesburg, queued for kilometres on Thursday morning to receive much-needed relief to weather the Covid-19 storm.

Ten thousand food parcels were handed out to residents “crippled by the economic consequences of the Covid-19 lockdown”, social activist Yusuf Abramjee said.

The parcels included mealie meal, vegetables, face masks, sanitiser and soap.

“The project is a targeted collaboration with a number of organisations working within the Spruit Community Support Forum.

“They hail from a diverse range of social backgrounds and religious groupings,” Abramjee said.

Ziyaad Shaboddin, co-ordinator of the project, said various organisations had come on board to support and ensure the needs of those suffering were met.

“Today's food and sanitation distribution follows a previous distribution that saw to the needs of close to 8,000 recipients who turned out in a queue that stretched for close to 3km,” he said.

Yunus Moola of the MealSA campaign said it was necessary for civil society formations to band together to ensure that communities across SA have food, water and sanitation, to ensure human dignity.

“Eradication of poverty is the way to peace,” he said.

Zeinoul Cajee from the Share the Care organisation said the MealSA project is set to continue its campaign of feeding thousands of people across SA during the pandemic and beyond.

“The aim is to contribute positively to social dignity and food security in difficult times,” said.