A reply to a Democratic Alliance (DA) Parliamentary question has revealed that in the fourth quarter of the previous financial year (January to March 2020) the Mpumalanga Department of Social Development has only distributed 500 food relief packages out of a target of over 50 000.
Through its poverty alleviation and sustainable livelihoods programme, the Department is supposed to reach and uplift those who are struggling to survive within their means. However, these statistics tell a story of a government which simply does not care for the most vulnerable in the community.
Mpumalanga has the third highest unemployment rate in the country at 33.6% and youth unemployment at 43.6%. In addition 46.4% of the people in the province are living below the lower bound poverty line of R992 per month.
For the same period, the provincial government failed to create the 1 500 EPWP jobs which it intended to do.
It should be the initiative of government to protect the destitute from hardships and ensure that initiatives reach and benefit those in need. The distribution of food parcels and rolling out of EPWP jobs should be the top priority of government.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) will write to Social Development MEC Thandi Shongwe, asking her to ramp up social relief programmes to those who live below the poverty line and ensure the destitute in food insecure municipalities such as Umjindi, Chief Albert Luthuli, Victor Khanye, Mkhondo, Thembisile Hani, Nkomazi and Dr Pixley Ka Isaka Seme have access to food relief programmes.