The City of Cape Town will continue to action its commitment as a caring city by providing R10 million relief as part of Phase 1 as approved by council, which will see communities receive much-needed assistance.
The City will also roll out a second phase of the humanitarian food relief initiative to vulnerable communities adversely affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.
An additional R15 million as part of Phase 2 of the relief will be provided following council’s approval in March. A total of R25 million is earmarked to be spent on providing relief to residents Alderman Grant Twigg, Mayoral Committee Member for Urban Management, explained.
Since last April, shortly after the pandemic started, more than 200 soup kitchens have been supported through the office of the Mayor, who delivered kitchen equipment and ingredients.
Thousands of food parcels were also distributed to communities in need, and this was a vital lifeline to residents experiencing the financial impact of the lockdown, Twigg said.
As part of this initiative, the City is calling for applications from registered and experienced NPOs and PBOs within the municipal boundaries to prepare and distribute cooked meals to vulnerable communities, as well as non-perishable food items.
The successful organisations, which meet the relevant requirements, must also supervise community-based organisations, the preparation and distribution of meals, Twigg explained. “The hardship experienced by many through the loss of income is something we are acutely aware of,” Mayor Dan Plato said. “I’m contacted by residents regularly who are desperate for assistance. We have a duty as government to assist.”
Applications for phase 2 will be advertised shortly in local newspapers to invite organisations that:. are registered as a non-governmental organisation (NGO), public benefit organisation (PBO) or a non-profit organisation (NPO),. have at least three months’ experience operating soup/food kitchens and providing nutritional well-balanced meals to vulnerable communities/beneficiaries,. can provide a track record of their successful operations and the details of communities or beneficiary groups they have previously served.
