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COVID-19: Western Cape Provincial Update 5

6 May 2020

Municipalities across the Western Cape continue to implement feeding schemes and various support measures to assist communities during the Covid-19 lockdown.

The Minister of Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning in the Western Cape, Anton Bredell, says municipalities have been humbled by the support and generosity from private individuals, businesses and community organisations who are providing ongoing assistance in addressing the needs of vulnerable communities.

“I want to thank the entities and individuals who are working with us and helping us to look after those most vulnerable. The Covid-19 pandemic continues to be an enormous challenge and if it wasn’t for the cooperation and support that we have been getting from our communities, then the situation would have been much more serious.”

Bredell has also praised the municipalities and their workers for the ongoing efforts.

“I want to ask the public to continue to work with us in adhering to regulations. Please verify all information before sharing it and rely on official channels for information. Ongoing fake news continues to cause unnecessary tension at this time.”

Some of the work being done in municipalities across the province:

  • Swartland Municipality has approximately 70 Feeding schemes in ongoing operation in its municipal area which are coordinated and supported by leading NPO organisations. The areas include Malmesbury, Moorreesburg, Goedgedacht and Riebeek Valley.
  • In Stellenbosch, the StellenboschUnite collaborative aid action continues to provide social support including supplies weekly food packages to identified vulnerable families  The municipality has channelled R1.2 m towards this food relief program.
  • In George, 137 municipal soup kitchens continue feeding about 20 000 people across the municipal area every day. The municipal actions are  is strongly supported thanks to the generosity of private individuals, businesses and community organisations who donate towards the enormous task.
  • Wearing protective clothing, Drakenstein Municipality’s Solid Waste Management teams continue cleaning areas that experience high volumes of traffic.
  • Cape Winelands District Municipality continues to actively support the Witzenberg Municipality in their efforts to prevent infections. Community communications with a local flavour is being driven to better inform and encourage citizens to adhere to the regulations.
  • West Coast District Municipality has provided the municipality’s Incident Command bus to Western Cape Provincial Traffic to utilise during roadblocks at Bitterfontein on the N7 highway. The bus provides officials with an area to have strategic meetings and supplies light when roadblocks take place in the evening.
  • Hessequa Municipality has completed the installation of 13 additional water tanks in informal settlement areas. These tanks provide additional water to the communities and are filled regularly by the municipality.
  • The City of Cape Town has created 3000 SMME COVID-19 Toolkits, containing the essentials to help get businesses back to work safely as soon as they are allowed to do so. The kits include safety posters, Information on relief funding and support opportunities,          Hand sanitiser and face masks.

Bredell has urged all citizens with questions or concerns to visit the provincial website: www.westerncape.gov.za/coronavirus or to get in touch with their local municipalities for assistance.

“If you have flu-like symptoms, and may have come into contact with someone who has COVID-19, please contact the provincial hotline on 021 928 4102 for advice on what to do next.”

 ENDS.

Media enquiries:

James-Brent Styan

Spokesperson to the Minister of Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning

Western Cape Government

9th Floor, Utilitas Building, 1 Dorp Street, Cape Town, South Africa

Telephone: +27 21 483 2820 / Mobile: +27 84 5831670 / E-mail: james-brent.styan@westerncape.gov.za